Naruto: Master of Lightning
by BlackCrow02
Summary: One fateful night Naruto dreams about his mother quickly dying, but not before leaving him with a seal engraved into his entire body. the seal grants him many abilities that would be considered bloodline limits, but its up to him to unlock them. Smart Naruto, Powerful Naruto, Sharingan Naruto, Darkish Naruto, NarutoXHarem. Chapter 1 Revised.
1. New Sensei

_**A/N: Hello folks and welcome to my story. I hope you enjoy it and review it if you like it. That's about it for me so please enjoy and farewell. **_

_**This chapter was revised on 1/5/2013**_

_**Sensei  
**_

A lone figure stood on the highest peak of the Hokage Mountains lazily gazing towards the Hidden Leaf Village. He was witnessing his village begin to crumble from the constant blows it had received from the invading enemies. It was mainly two though that managed to infiltrate deep enough.

One of the intruders was the Sunagakure also known as the hidden village from the Land of Wind. Their purpose was clear they simply wanted to maximize their strength by none other than taking out the obstacle that was keeping them from becoming the most powerful as one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries.

Even though Suna was the muscle in this invasion the real mastermind behind this plan was none other than Orochimaru himself. One of the legendary three had gathered his own sound village and joined forces with Sunagakure in hopes of toppling Konoha once and for all.

Orochimaru was the one that had planned this whole destruction of the Leaf by manipulating Sunagakure and killing their Kazekage. He went as far as impersonation the leader of Suna just to be as close as possible to his main goal of this whole charade. His main goal was to kill the leader of the Leaf Village known as Sarutobi the third Hokage.

You might be wondering why this young man is simply lazing around watching this tragedy unfold while his own village is burning to the ground right before his eyes. Why don't you ask him yourself, "First off I don't really feel any kind of duty to this village. You might say that reason is not enough to warrant from protecting your home from utter destruction. Well that is just a matter of personal opinion in his book. There are plenty of reasons mind you for his attitude, but those secrets will remain hidden until later. Also you might be wondering just who the hell am I to just let their village burn to the ground? Well I'm none other than the main man himself Uzumaki Naruto of course. The most powerful shinobi in this village even though he was just 13 years old, quite the proclamation correct?

Now his reason to think of himself so highly is because he has proven himself many times in countless battles that he has faced during the years. Some of those battles weren't exactly battles and were more mental battles than anything really. He wasn't always this carefree and relaxed. In fact he still wasn't, but he had definitely loosened up a bit since he began his journey all those years ago.

He used to be cold-hearted person not caring for anyone since that tragedy happened in his life. He had to agree his life had changed for the better even though he sometimes wondered if it was worth it or not. Other than that he had to agree his life right now was pretty good. Of course that might have been because he had broken out of his cold shell. He had finally found people who weren't appalled by his superior attitude and his cold nature. If it wasn't for those precious people that he found then he knew his life would be extremely lonely.

The white haired boy slowly stood up from his comfortable blanket that he had laid out for this specific moment. He slowly removed the dust from his body that had accumulated by just sitting there. He stretched widely trying to get out all the kinks in his body. The young man held his back in discomfort, "Man I must have been really out of it by the way my back hurts like hell". He scratched his head feeling embarrassed, "I guess rocks are not meant to be used as a pillow huh".

The white-haired boy gazed back towards the burning village and nodded. "Alright I think that's enough time for them to enjoy thinking they have won it". They young man breathed in deeply and closed his eyes in a sort of meditation. After a couple of silent moments he finally opened his eyes revealing his blood-red mature sharingan eyes. He knew that this village loved and adored and regarded as one of the most powerful Doujutsu in the world. He couldn't disagree with them on the being powerful part, but that didn't matter now.

He smirked and quickly dashed forwards sprinting at blinding speeds down the mountain heading towards the village. The only thing that could be seen was his after image showing just how fast he was going. "This is going to be quite an experience". He stated confidently making a couple of hand signs resulting in multiple lightning filled shadow clones immediately branching off from their master clearly having a plan. He continued sprinting towards his destination, "Now where have my little devils gone too. I hope I'm not too late now". He laughed and disappeared in a flash of lightning.

**Approximately 4 years ago.**

**(Location Naruto's apartment complex)**

Bzzzzzzz, the ear wrenching noise of the alarm clock kept ringing until who knows how long until finally a very annoyed young boy desperately reached over trying to find the snooze button to stop his mounting headache from getting any worse. The young boy finally managed to pound his alarm clock forcefully stopping it from continuing. The figure tiredly forced his slender body upwards stretching his body and yawning the whole way. He gazed towards the destroyed alarm clock, "Stupid alarm clock can you get any more annoying ringing and ringing and ringing some more like you had nothing better to do". After a couple of silent moments passed the boy finally let out a laugh. "Oh wait you don't have anything else to do since your just a clock".

The young boy began to scratch the back of his head laughing mostly to himself at his stupidity. He quickly reached under his bed and grabbed another brand new alarm clock and placed it gently beside his bed. He turned the brand new clock towards himself as it stated it was 7:00 am. He gently put the small alarm clock back in the small nightstand he had besides his bed and pulled himself out of bed. He winced at the coldness of the ground as he headed to the shower since today was a very important day in his young life…Not. Though he'd like to think so anyway I mean why not right. You have got to have something to look forwards too even though you really don't and would only be lying to yourself.

He mumbled annoyingly, '_Isn't that what normal people do anyways'. _At least he wanted to believe that saying. He grumbled once again towards several unnamed people thought they were mostly adults. He forced himself towards the bathroom to begin his boring day. After a couple of minutes had passed he finally came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped out his thin waist. He slowly stepped towards the closet to get his favorite clothing in the whole wide world... '_NOT'. _What place was he to complain since it was very cheap and practical in the sense that it had many pockets which in turn would be able to hold many ninja equipment.

He hoped that he would finally enter the Ninja Academy next year since the old man had promised him that he would pull some strings whatever that mean. He said he would try to get him with the new class that was entering in the coming months. He at least had that to look forward to if nothing else right. He finished putting on his orange jumpsuit and made sure it didn't have any stains or smudges that would make him stand out even more than he already did. For what reason he was so popular with the people in this village he had no freaking clue. One thing he did know was that it must have been something pretty bad from all the glares the villagers would throw his way. It time though he had gotten used to them by now. No rather he was forced to get used to them.

He sighed knowing that it would've been much worse like getting real physical pain. He prayed it did not come to that since he had no means of defending himself having had absolute not training whatsoever. Which is why he was looking forward to attending the Academy hoping they would teach him something powerful to defend himself with. He bitter smiled, "Wouldn't that be nice being able to defend yourself from getting myself an ass whooping".

He nodded in confirmation that he had found no foreign stains on his clothes. He had only been able to wash only a couple of pairs since that incident that occurred last night in the Laundry Mat. He most certainly did not want to relive that moment again…well at least not the hitting part.

_(Flashback last night)_

**(Location Konoha Laundry Mat)**

A young boy could be seen grumbling as he washed his dirty clothing clearly not enjoying the experience. "Stupid clothes getting dirty all the time couldn't they invent clothing that didn't need to be washed every freaking night? He mumbled to himself not particularly fond of coming here since there would always be at least one rude person that would throw him an insult. He hoped to Kami that did not happen today since he had to wash all his clothing for the week to come.

_(10 minutes later)_

The young boy could be seen inspecting the environment all around him. He sighed not seeing anyone, "So far so good I don't anybody coming here anytime soon. I've done the washing part of this whole procedure now all I've got to do is dry them. Easy enough right? He quickly reached for the washed pairs of clothes and other minor stuff like underwear and socks ect…He roughly stuffed them onto the basket to begin to dry them so he could get the hell out of there.

He quickly closed the lid and strolled towards the back of the place where the driers were. He stopped suddenly when he began to hear some sort of shuffling coming from the place. '_Damn! Just my fucking luck to have someone to appear just when I'm about to finish my chore can it get any worse'. _He muttered under his breath and stood frozen for a couple of seconds, but failed to hear the same noise again. He sighed in relief that it was nothing, but the wind and continued to his destination.

He rounded the corner and immediately halted his advance and could only stare in awe of the scene before his young eyes. There stood in front of him a young woman who was about a foot taller than himself and looked to be about 12 years old. Give or take he wasn't sure since he wasn't very good at judging people yet.

The young girl had very dark hair that rested nicely near her luscious chest which to his young eyes looked extremely large. You could metaphorically drown into her big brown eyes that were oddly transmitting death right now. He of course blew it off since he was so enchanted with the sight of her young body to even care right now.

The young girl was only in her bra and panties which were both black matching her dark red hair perfectly. Rounding out with her flawless white skin that seemed to have no blemishes to speak of. The young boy was so entranced with the girl in front of him that he didn't notice her rising killing intent aimed directly at his young figure.

Naruto was brought out of his daze when he began to feel a heavy pressure in the atmosphere. A heavy dread followed and settled in the pit of his stomach from the piercing glare coming from the girl. He quickly realized that her eyes which were once a beautiful dark brown were now blood-red with two strange black dots surrounding them. "Sharingan", he muttered not believing that this pretty girl had those awesome eyes that he had seen on plenty of male Uchiha, but never on a girl before.

While Naruto was lost in his own little world the young red-head girl narrowed her sharingan eyes on him turning his world dark for a split second.

The whiskered boy for the life of him couldn't move a single muscle and saw the girl walking towards him. She had a gaze that made his skin crawl from the sheer amount of venom laced to them. Naruto was beginning to hyperventilating from the fear he was feeling now and was desperately looking for a way out of this situation. He was too late as the girl slowly crouched down and warmly smile at him. "Do you like what you see little man? Her tone was sweet and kind like a mother's should be.

He of course wasn't naïve enough to think that her smile was genuine. Her yes told a completely different story all together and that fairytale promised pain and suffering if not answered correctly. '_Damn it this is not good. She's looking for an answer. I-I better give her one or who knows what will happen to me". _

Her gentle smile quickly disappeared from her flushed face and instantly morphed into one of utter annoyance. "Well? I'm still waiting little man".

Naruto's throat went dry as he desperately brainstormed what to say to her that would make her less angry. His clenched fist pounded into his open palm as he came up with a response that would hopefully satisfy her. He brought his determined eyes and spoke with utter confidence in his answer. "Umm… you're pretty". The air around them literally dropped in temperature. He noticed her face had transformed from simple annoyance into one of confusion. That however only lasted a single second.

She fiercely narrowed her sharingan eyes towards the young boy, "That's all you have to say to me? That I'm pretty".

Noticing the threating tone of her voice he slowly nodded not really sure how to respond. "Yeah I guess you're hot". The whiskered blond didn't even see her fist flying through the air as it collided with his head forcefully sending him through the air and out of the Laundry Mat with basket in tow mind you.

The whiskered blond laid there for a couple of second while his clothes scattered all around him. His basket laid broken next to him since it was already old to begin with. His quickly returned to life and began to mutter curses at the pretty girl. "Give me a fucking break I was only looking it's not like I touched her or anything. Why would she get so pissed with me? I even told her she was pretty". He closed his eyes while his face contorted into one of thinking. "Hmm perhaps you're not supposed to say stuff like that to a girl when she's only in her underwear and bra". His face scrunched up some more as he thought about his situation and realized his mistake.

He grumbled in annoyance, "She still didn't have to hit me so hard. A simple get the fuck out of her face would've sufficed right? He sighed and trudged his lanky legs towards his scattered clothes and methodically began to pick them up still depressed at his situation.

He slowly began to drag his feet back home with whatever clothes he still had left. He honestly felt more miserable than ever before if that was even possible. He formed a forced smile, '_I guess everybody is just jealous of me because I'm better than them year that's why they hate me'. _He bitterly laughed to himself trying to tell himself that was the only reason they despised him so much, but failed miserably. His head drooped down while his golden hair shadowed over his eyes silently beginning to shed some tears.

His tears were not the result of sorrow like you might believe. It was the opposite his tears were from the sheer frustration of being such a weak kid. He wasn't even capable of protecting himself from measly villagers. He clenched his fists in frustration, '_Why am I so fucking weak? If only I had power then I would never have to feel like this again! _The air around him noticeably picked up as the sky above the village trembled in anger.

_(Meanwhile with said girl) _

"Is every man a fucking pervert? She grumbled already having put a pair of clothing she had just finished washing not wanting to risk another incident like that from happening again. She began to unload the drier and stuffed them with the rest of her clothing. She rubbed her aching neck trying to bring some relief to it. "Damn I'm even more tired than I was before. I even had to use my sharingan to stop him from running. What a pain in the ass that was". She tiredly sighed, "Today is not my day that's for sure. First off I keep getting these ridiculous missions to clean people's garbage or pain their fences. I mean seriously what does painting people's fences have anything to do with being a ninja? Not a single damn thing if you ask me!

What she really dreamed for was to go fight some bad guys and kick their asses. Since she was already a genin she felt that she deserved to be given tougher missions. She grumbled at the thought of the old man lecturing her about how she wasn't ready for tougher mission until she had some experience with D-rank missions first.

She slammed the drier door shut having finished unloading everything in her basket. Her gaze lingered at the spot that the little blond kid had stood a few minutes ago. She frowned at the guilt she was feeling at hitting the boy so hard even though it was partly her fault to begin with. _'What was I thinking undressing in the Laundry Mat? _

She sighed feeling more miserable about it. "I didn't even give him a chance to introduce himself. At least then I would know his name and apologize to him". Her dark brown eyes quickly darted towards the front door and dashed to them hoping that by some miracle he would still be there. Unfortunately she was only greeted with the cold dead silence of the night air. Her petite shoulders slumped at the realization that she wasn't to get a chance to apologize to him. Her attitude quickly picked up, "Maybe I'll see him tomorrow if he come back or in the village somewhere". She perked up even more, "I can't lose hope now". The girl quickly sprinted towards her home silently hoping she would meet him again somewhere.

_(Meanwhile with Naruto)_

The whiskered blond was slowly walking towards his house with his head still down. He suddenly noticed several shadows in the corner of his eyes and his whole body went rigid as the realization of what was about to happen hit him full force.

The shadows in the night slowly began to pour out of the crevices of the abandoned buildings surrounding him. A lone figure stepped up and spoke, "Well well well if it isn't little ole' Naruto-kun".

Naruto tensed at the sound of his name being called so nonchalant like they were his friends. If only that were true unfortunately it wasn't of course. Naruto knew that he couldn't escape them even if he wanted to. His terrified eyes lingered on the supposed leader of the group and frowned noticing the wicket smile he had plastered on his face. He steeled his heart and resolution while his eyes became the polar opposite of what he was feeling and his voice turned ice-cold. "What do you want with me".

The shinobi surrounding him were initially smirking the whole time. That however changed as soon as they heard his response resulting in their smirks dropping. The leader on the other hand didn't even pay mind towards his dramatic change in attitude and merely smirked even wider. "Man Naruto-kun you sure look tough with that face. You must be very confident with yourself if you have that face plastered on". He snickered sarcastically knowing he was only bluffing since he knew for certain that Naruto had absolutely no Ninja Training whatsoever making him weak.

The whiskered blond stood unmoving while his gaze remained locked onto the leader of the group slowly tensing his body preparing for the worst. The leader caught his tension and signaled the figure behind Naruto to begin with their assault.

Naruto clenched his teeth noticing the leader make the first move. His ears twitched at the sudden movement behind him. Naruto knew he was coming, but his reflexes were too weak to react fast enough to dodge. He raised his slender arms in an x fashion and braced the brunt of the attack that sent his small frame flying through the air. An audible explosion echoed through the silent street as his small frame slammed into the wall cracking it in the process.

He slowly crawled out of the hole that he had made upon hitting the concrete wall. He fell in one knee from the extreme amount of pain he was going through. His entire upper body was throbbing in pain from the sheer amount of power his small body was hit with. The young boy's vision was going all over the place from the throbbing headache he was feeling. He began to violently cough out some blood as he strained his aching body to stand and face them. For the life of him his small inexperienced body couldn't handle the strain any longer. He harshly dropped to the cold ground immediately slipping into unconsciousness.

The leader of the group quickly dashed towards the guy that had hit Naruto and violently planted his fist straight to his face. Resulting in him flying towards the wall of an empty building making a decent sized hole. The leader was beyond furious at this point as he glared at the man who was laying on the ground. "What the fuck are we going to do now huh? He glared even fiercer making his point, "Next time you disobey me I'm going to enjoy killing you…slowly understand". His menacing eyes roamed over the other shinobi around him, "That goes for all of you as well. Disobey me and you die understood". The group around him immediately began to nod not wanting to risk their leader's wrath upon them.

The leader smirked at the feeling of control over his group and turned his attention towards Naruto's unconscious body. He slowly walked towards him and used his legs to flip him on his stomach. "Damn it see what happens when you don't follow order correctly. He gave the blond another agonizing kick straight the stomach in frustration. "Come on gather his clothes. He doesn't need them now". He snickered as his followers started gathering the scattered clothing.

The leader brought his gaze back to the boy and kicked him once again. "We will be back to finish the job brat. Just be ready for us next time you pathetic weakling". His followers laughed in unison at their leaders joke.

_(10 minutes later)_

Naruto's body twitched into life as he slowly brought his aching body upwards. "Uggh my fucking head", he shouted while holding his head in pain. Still holding his head he noticed his clothing were missing. "Well that's just fucking great. First I get hit in the face by a half-naked girl…well that wasn't so bad. Anyways then I get my ass handed to me by a bunch of dropouts and the have the nerve to steal my fucking clothes". He sighed in defeat, "Can my luck get any worse? His dull eyes glared towards the night sky as a single lightning bolt struck the heavens and began to pour ice-cold rain. "I had to ask didn't I".

_(__Flashback end__)_

While he grumbled at the terrible night he had experienced he began preparing one of his favorite meal for breakfast. It was ramen of course. Once he was finished scarfing down his mean he expertly threw the ramen cup towards the trash bin making it effortlessly. He headed towards the door locking it behind him and quickly hurried down the stairs. He strolled down the street heading towards the Hokage Mansion hoping to convince the old man to give him a teacher to train him. At least until the Academy started. He wanted to be the best in the Academy and if he had a teacher to train him he would be stronger than the others.

He continued walking in the streets not failing to notice the glares the villagers were throwing him. It was if it was like tradition to do it now. Naruto did the only thing he knew how to do to counteract this. He smiled brightly towards them, '_Stupid people always making me feel unwanted. Well you just wait I will get stronger and then you will be forced to respect me whether you like it or not'. _

Even though most people would just glare at him for no clear reason life in Konoha was not all bad. They were some people who actually treated him nicely or at least with indifference. For example the people at Ichiraku Ramen were particularly nice to him when he went out for a bite to eat. Well he wasn't sure whether it was from pity or they actually meant it. Still it was lonely having no friends to hang out with or play tag in the park. Which he wanted to try since it seemed so fun when he watched the other kids playing it. Whenever he tried to join them the kids would always run away from him saying. _'Our parents told us not to get anywhere near you Demon spawn'. _He growled at the event, '_Stupid adults always spouting such nonsense about demon this and demon that. Where the hell did they get that idea from'. _

He swung his head to the side and glanced at the building that read Ninja Clothing and Weapons Sold here. He had always wanted to enter and see what they had to offer, but of course was never allowed to by the owner. He couldn't understand why the owner would not let him buy anything. I mean he had money from the allowance he got from the old man. So the way he saw it there shouldn't be any problems with not being able to afford it. Still even though he showed the owner he had money to spend he still refused to even get near his store. His excuse was always the same saying that his customers would not like to shop in the same place the demon shopped.

He was getting sick of the word 'Demon' always popping into the conversations. I mean are they blind or something can't they tell I'm just a regular kid. Seriously if he was a demon then he wouldn't have any problems defending himself. He would simply tear his enemies apart like nothing and laugh manically at the pleasure. He continued walking to his destination when he passed a store that reflected the image of him. '_Do I really look like a Demon to them? _That questioned always lingered on his mind.

He clenched his fists so tightly that he made them go pale from the lack of blood flowing through them. He desperately needed someone to teach him on how to be strong. He needed to know at least so that he could defend himself in need be.

He clenched his fist tightly making them go pale white from the lack of blood flowing through them. He desperately needed a sensei to teach him how to be strong so that he could at least be able to defend himself. A huge shadow enveloped his own shadow as he approached the Hokage Mansion. He stopped in his tracks and gazed up at the Hokage Mansion remembering that it was just a couple of years ago that he so desperately wanted to be Hokage.

He snorted at the thought of being Hokage like the old man was. Lately though he didn't even want to be associated with this village much less be Hokage. His dream was simple. He only wanted to get stronger he wanted '**Power'. **His blue eyes traveled to the Hokage's faces and smirked, _'You just wait and see I'll become even stronger than you guys that are praised by this stupid village as the strongest'. _His gaze oddly lingered on the Yondaime's statue, '_This is the person that the whole village talks about all the time. Always praising him on how he defeated the great Kyuubi said to be the strongest of all the Biju'. _Whenever he overheard that story from the villagers he was tempted in asking them for more information.

His gaze finally left from the Yondaime's face and began walking towards the entrance of the Mansion. He slowly made his way up the stairs leading to the main office of building where the wise and powerful Hokage resided in doing important stuff. He snickered, "Yeah right it's probably more paperwork. This is another reason I don't want to be Hokage". He approached the desk where you usually came to make an appointment with the man himself. Which from what he had heard took at least a week to make which of course he didn't have time to waste. He needed to start as soon as possible before the Academy officially started.

The woman who handled the appointments and other business related things was for the most part nice towards him which he liked. So he hoped that he could just go in and see him, but with his luck who knows what might happen. The whiskered blond made his way forward making the woman behind the desk suddenly stand up and stop Naruto in his tracks.

"I'm sorry, but I absolutely can't allow you to disturb the Hokage. There is already a meeting in progress so please come back tomorrow and make an appointment then. The earliest I can give you would be in about a week or so, but that's pushing it". She finished her speech and glared at him to make her point clear to the boy.

_(Meanwhile inside the office)_

A red-headed girl could be seen glaring at the powerful Hokage. "Come on old man you've got to have some tougher missions for our team. Why do you insist on giving us these useless D-rank missions when we are clearly ready for C-rank or even B-rank for Christ sake". She shouted not please whatsoever with the man for receiving these supposed lame missions.

The powerful Hokage merely sat there as he breathed on his pipe full of tobacco and exhaled filling the room with the smell. He rubbed his temples at his situation. "I am sorry you feel that way Maki, but I thought I made it crystal clear when we had this conversation the last time you came in and complained". He cleared his throat and spoke with seriousness. "Let me make myself clear once again. You will not get a mission above D-rank until the month is over understood Maki".

The red-headed kunochi could only slump her shoulder in defeat knowing she wouldn't get anywhere with the old man. She bowed her head in defeat, "Hai Hokage-sama". She slowly made her way towards the door leading out of the office.

_(Meanwhile outside the office)_

The whiskered blond stood trembling out of sheer frustration from not being allowed inside the office. If she thought even for a second that this would stop him from seeing the old man then she was bat shit crazy. His ears twitched at the conversation that was being held inside the office and it suddenly gave him an idea. He gave the woman his sweetest smile, "I understand that he is extremely busy. Thank you for setting me on the straight and narrow. I will be taking my leave now". He mocked bowed to the secretary and mentally laughed at her surprised reaction. _'Stupid lady actually believing that I would give up so easily. Doesn't she know who I am I'm mother fucking Uzumaki Naruto'. _

Naruto slowly made his way to the exit, but quickly spun around and sprinted towards the office doors and busted straight through them. He successfully zoomed past the office door, but oddly felt something soft hit his head. Naruto's small frame collided with the girl who was just heading out.

The red-headed girl fell hard on her behind as she desperately rubbed it hoping to sooth the pain. She strangely also had pain on her breasts, but decided to not bring attention to that and left it alone. At least until she got back home. She quickly looked up preparing to murder whoever that was pushed her down so harshly. Her initial murderous intent was halted when she realized that it was the little boy that she had run into last night.

Naruto slowly stood up feeling serious pain coming from his head. "Man what the hell did I just hit? It felt like I hit a brick wall". He moaned in pain from the throbbing headache he was feeling. He slowly gathered himself and shook the cobwebs from his head. He looked up and noticed it was the girl he had met at the Laundry Mat. He carefully inspected the place where his head had hit and wondered what it was. His cheeks turned a bright red when he realized that he had hit the girls' chest. He was about to apologize, but was interrupted by her screeching voice.

"Hey I remember you you're that pervert from the Laundry Mat right". She quickly bolted up and put both hands on her developing hips. "Care to explain to me why you were there in the first place little boy? She mocked expecting an honest answer.

The whiskered blond looked around sarcastically wanting to confirm if this girl was serious. He got his answer from the seriousness of her face. He crossed his arms and told her. "What else would I be doing in the Laundry Mat besides washing clothes woman? He sarcastically responded while thinking. '_Is this girl mentally retarded or what? Who wouldn't know what somebody does when it's specifically states it in the freaking name for crying out loud. And she's supposed to be more powerful than me get real'. _

The kunochi narrowed her eyes at his cheeky attitude making him tense expecting another blow to the face which thankfully never came. She slowly came up to him and kneeled just enough to where she was able to meet him in the eyes. "Of course I know what you do there you idiot. What I mean was what _you_ were doing their last night. Where are your parents anyway? She questioned wanting to know what a little kid was doing there so late at night.

His features hardened at the mention of his parents as he glared coldly towards the girl. "I don't have any parents so it's only logical that I do it myself don't you agree". He saw her silently gasp and knew that her apology would follow shortly. He however didn't give her a chance and simply dismissed her insult all together. "Don't worry about it girl. You had no way of knowing and hopefully this solves this misunderstanding of the Laundry Mat incident that happened between us".

The kunochi slowly nodded now knowing that it really wasn't his fault in the first place. She slowly slumped her head down in shame.

Naruto noticed her depressed demeanor and sighed, "Hey it's fine you didn't know right". He carefully cupped her chin and slowly brought it up, "Hey I told you it's fine alright so let's be friends ok". Seeing that she had accepted his speech he then made his way towards the Hokage's desk and asked what he was going to do initially.

_(Meanwhile with the hokage)_

The Hokage was a bit surprised at Maki's behavior as it was the first time seeing her sincerely saddened. She was always energetic and loud most of the time. He chuckled, _'Sounds like someone else I know'. _His wise gaze shifted to Naruto's approaching form, '_At least knew anyways'. _He didn't know why the boy had changed so much this past couple years. When he was first introduced to the boy he was your regular happy not a care in the world child.

Lately thought he's been noticing the once happy child go down the dark path. He had spied on the boy with his all-seeing crystal ball and had witnessed Naruto become very mischievous. Constantly picking fights with people who were out of his league. He didn't mind that Naruto wanted to get stronger, but at what cost was the question he asked himself. He shoved those thoughts aside hoping he was just being paranoid about the situation.

The whiskered blonde finally reached him and stated, "Hey old man I came here to ask you for something".

The wise Hokage breathed out a large plume of smoke, "Depends what the request is Naruto-kun".

The boy simply nodded taking his statement as a signal to continue. "I want someone strong to train me so that I can become the strongest in the Academy when I enter". He declared feeling confident that he would get his way.

The powerful Hokage known as Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't surprised on bit that Naruto wanted to train. He knew that the boy would do anything to gain power, but was it wise to assign him a sensei this early. Sarutobi saw the determination coming from the boy and sighed in defeat. "Alright Naruto-kun I'll find you a sensei to train you. Just give me a moment". Naruto smirked at the thought of becoming stronger.

Sarutobi saw Naruto's reaction and frowned a bit at his attitude. He dismissed the feeling and turned his gaze towards Maki who was carefully listening to the conversation between them. The Hokage motioned for the kunochi to approach him. "Maki you wanted a tougher mission correct. So on this day forward you are to train Naruto Uzumaki in the basics of being a Ninja until the Academy starts in a couple of months. Now this mission will be regarded as a B-rank for the amount of time you will have to spend with the boy. So expect a good pay if that is you concern". He saw the red-head was about to speak, but the wise Hokage quickly laid her concerns to rest. "Do not worry about your teammates and sensei Maki. They will be informed about your circumstances and will get a replacement until your time is finished with the boy".

The female kunochi absent mindedly nodded her head indicating that she had accepted the mission. The Hokage smiled and rested his eyes on Naruto who had a look of disinterest clearly not expecting her of all people to be his new sensei.

While the Hokage filed the necessary paperwork Maki approached the whiskered blond and offered her hand to formally greet each other. "Hey there kid my name is Maki Uchiha pleased to meet you".

Naruto rudely passed over her kind greeting, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto don't wear it out". The blond noticed a tick mark appear on her head and smirked in victory, _'doesn't feel too good to be ignored now does it Maki'. _

The kunochi saw his cocky smirk and was quickly starting to regret accepting this mission. Knowing that she wasn't going to get anything else from the boy quickly made her way towards the door. Before she exited she decided to leave the boy with some instructions. "Uzumaki-san in a week's time please meet me at training ground 8 at 7:00 am sharp to begin our training understood".

Naruto flinched at her sudden change in tone and hesitantly nodded with her instructions. Once she was gone the boy brought his surprised face towards the Hokage not sure what just happened.

The aged Hokage merely shrugged already knowing what kind of person Maki was. She could either be the nicest person in the world or the cruelest one if you pissed her off.

Naruto seeing he wasn't going to get anything from the old man quickly made his way towards the exit as well. "Why am I so bad with girls? He muttered as he exited the Hokage office, but not before hearing a sarcastic remark from the old man.

"It's simple Naruto-kun. You simply don't have any experience with women at all.

The blond stood frozen in place at the Hokage's rudeness. "Shut up old man. At least I'm still young enough to get a girl". This remark quickly shut the laughing Hokage leaving him to the mountains of paperwork still needing to be completed.


	2. Dream

_A/N: Well nothing much to say here other than enjoy the chapter folks._

_(Later that day)_

Naruto for the first time was feeling excited for the coming week to come. Why was he excited? Well when you get treated like the plague for most of your life and ignored you pretty much crave attention. He wanted to be noticed by the _'weak'_ villagers and to prove to them that he wasn't just some random orphan in the streets.

Naruto clenched his fist tightly and fought from crying out of joy, _'Finally someone will train me and I will become someone in this pathetic village of Konoha'_. _'No more of getting beat up by practically anyone that wanted to really'. 'Now he was the one to decide whether to suffer or to thrive in this village'._

Naruto's smile dropped a little at the thought of still having to wait a whole another week before he even started to get stronger. _'Damn it why did that girl have to say a week couldn't we just start right now I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be'._

He sighed as he brought his bright blue eyes towards the bright yellow sun that was beginning to set. A tiny whisper brought him out of his train of thought, _'Do not worry my son you will awaken soon enough'._He immediately stopped in his tracks and absentmindedly looked around to find out where the source of the voice came from. All he found out where the normal civilian villager walking about doing their daily duties.

Naruto couldn't for the life of him figure out where that voice had come from. It sounded very _'sweet'_ and _'motherly'_ to him which greatly confused him. He gave the area one more run through and the closest thing he could come up with was that it was some random mother passing through with her kids in tow, but even that was a stretch.

He absentmindedly ran his small hands through his blond locks, _'What the hell was that voice just now?'_He steadily blinked and stared at his hands unsure of what think, _'am I thinking too much about training that it's making me crazy'_. He nervously chuckled to assure himself and quickly dismissed that thought, _'nah it must have been the wind yeah that was it just the wind passing by'._He nodded having reassured himself that it was just the wind, but immediately felt another feeling come through him. This feeling he knew all too well by know it was the feeling of being watched.

He carefully looked around him and spotted a little blond girl with blue eyes carefully watching him through some kind of flower shop. The small girl seemed oblivious to being found out since she continued to watch him carefully until an older version of her came from behind and led her away all the while smiling happily. Seeing that his time in the spotlight was over continued onwards feeling a bit better from the attention he received. He bitterly chuckled to himself and brought his hand to back, '_Ha-ha how pathetic of me to get all flustered from the attention of a little girl I'm really something aren't I'._

He gazed towards the sky once again and saw the nighttime was approaching soon, _'guess I better head home since I got nothing better to do'._ Having decided he quickened his pace and headed straight for home. He frowned and grumbled, _'I sure don't want to have a repeat of last night that's for damn sure'._

(10 minutes before in Yamanka Flower Shop)

The blond 8 year old girl was carefully watching a boy about his age staring everywhere like he was crazy or something. "Is this boy crazy or something? What is he doing just standing there talking to himself". She squinted her eyes to get a better image and noticed that he looked a bit like her with blue eyes and blond hair, but his were much more brighter than her family's dull ones.

She continued to carefully study him wondering what the heck he was doing. A faint hue of pink filled her cheeks as his gaze suddenly turned towards her and those blue of bore into her. She silently gasped at being caught and was about to run away when she felt a sudden warmth on her shoulder. She quickly looked over her shoulder and relaxed, "Geez moms don't scare me like that are you trying to give me a heart attack". The young mother chuckled and led her away from the window, "I'm sorry ino I didn't mean to startle you I just wanted to find out if you were hungry".

Ino shrugged and sighed in defeat, "Yeah I know mom it's just that you really scared me". The young mother led her only daughter into the kitchen where her dad was already seated at the table carefully arranging some flowers. The father known as Inoichi Yamanaka temporarily stopped attending his bouquet of flowers and looked towards his daughter.

"Hey what were you doing? We called you several times that dinner was ready". Inoichi narrowed his eyes when his daughter looked away and began to faintly blush. Knowing he wasn't going to get anything from her daughter looked towards his wife, "So what was she doing out there Mio?" Mio merely continued serving dinner and only gave him a very brief answer, "She was only staring at boy darling".

She chuckled when she saw him briefly choke on his food before glaring at his daughter, "Who is this boy you were staring at ino? You know you're much too young to be interested in boys right Mio". He sternly looked towards his wife who only nodded all the while smiling obviously thinking this situation was funny.

Ino just huffed and looked away, "I can do whatever I want daddy and besides I was just looking at him it's not like I know him or anything". Inoichi sighed and began to eat his food, "Who was this boy ino and have we met him before? Ino nodded her head negatively, "No we don't know him daddy this is the first time I've seen him around the village, but the strange part was that he was blond just like me and wore this ridiculous orange jumpsuit".

Inoichi narrowed his eyes towards his wife, "Mio did you see who it was". She carefully set her own plate on the table and sat down, "Yeah I saw him it was that Naruto kid that the Hokage had talked about recently". Inoichi nodded and looked towards ino who was pretending to ignore their conversation. _'So his name is Naruto huh hopefully I'll seen him again'._

Inoichi let the topic of Naruto drop and continued eating, "hey dad is this Naruto person going to the academy like me? He merely nodded, "Yeah ino he is going just like the rest". Inoichi hid a chuckle from the reaction he had gotten from ino. _'Yes I get to meet him in a couple of months I can't wait and hopefully I can convince him to get out of those ridiculous clothes seriously'_

(In Naruto's Apartment)

As soon as he got home Naruto quickly went to bed since he was feeling more tired than usual and he _never_felt tired. He lay in his bed gazing towards the empty ceiling thinking of nothing in particular when finally sleep overtook him.

(Location Naruto's Mind)

A lone young woman stood in a desolate area as the burning flames surrounded her and burned everything and anything around her. She slowly stood up and began walking towards the scorching flames seemingly unharmed by their harsh temperatures.

This lone female had a huge and deep gash where her stomach should be and was struggling to walk at the dramatic blood loss. Her once beautiful red hair was now life less and dirty and her once vibrant eyes filled with light were now a dull void.

Her breathing became haggard and her vision became hazy. She knew she was quickly dying by her steadily unresponsive body. She suddenly fell towards the earth and it seemed like that was it for her, but her laborious breathing could be heard one again. _'Not yet I still have to reach him I must reach him',_her voice all, but fading. She struggled to get back to her feet, but managed and saw that the floor was painted in her own blood.

She could hear multiple screams around her, but she continued to move forward seemingly nothing in her way could've stopped her. She struggled to keep moving, but smiled when she saw a small white bundle surrounded by the flames.

The only light in this dark hell was the lone boy that rested in a plain white basket naked, but didn't seem to mind as the flames around him were enough. He had very bright blond hair with whisker marks that faintly adorned his small round face as

She quickly dropped on her knees as she struggled to breathe, but still managed to smile. She carefully reached into the basket and raised the small child and cradled him into her chest and whispered, "Hello there my precious Naruto-kun I'm afraid I don't have much time", she bitterly smiled not wanting to accept that this would be the last time she would see him.

She would never be able to see him grow up and become strong just like his father. She cringed at the pain it took to talk, but continued "Before I leave Naruto-kun I must leave you with something".

"Even though you are just a child Naruto-kun and will most likely not understand what I am about to tell you do not worry as all will be clear in due time"_,_ she whispered.

Her breathe became even more labored as she suddenly went into a violent coughing fit indicating her time on this earth was drawing to a close. "Naruto-kun we have failed in giving you a normal life like me and you father wanted", She gaze towards the empty sky wishing it didn't have to be this way.

She was brought back by the crying of Naruto and knew that her last mission as a mother was to advise her son on what he held inside, "Naruto-kun you have been cursed with a heavy burden_"_. "We can't ask you to forgive us for sealing the Kyuubi inside you, but know this never blame yourself for the burden you have received".

Her demeanor turned dark, "The person that defeated me and your father was a shinobi that had powerful eyes able to control the Kyuubi and will it to destroy Konoha_"._ "You must destroy this person Naruto-kun or he will return and cause even more mayhem and destruction".

"Even though we might not be with you as you grow up we will leave you with something that will more than make up for it and will aide you with destroying this evil person known to the world as Madara Uchiha". She gently put the basket down and cringed as she gathered her remaining chakra and started doing hand signs. Finishing her hands glowed a very ominous dark energy. She fell to the floor once more and carefully brought her pale hands towards Naruto's small body.

A very intricate looking seal appeared all around his body and began exuding an ominous blue hue that enveloped his whole body. The small boy began to scream and the mysterious blue electricity crackled all around him.

She immediately fell to the floor in exhaustion at performing the technique as her chakra levels were nonexistent. She struggled to move as her body was quickly failing her, but she refused to give up and used whatever strength she had left to crawl towards him. Her time on this earth was almost over, but she still needed to relay one final message to her precious child. She willed her mouth to talk,

"Naruto-kun before I go I have to warn you",_*cough* *cough*,_She felt blood start to pour out of her mouth as she had all, but used up her remaining energy. At this point all she wanted was to go to sleep and finally end this agonizing pain she felt. _'No I can't give up I have to finish this'._She dragged her body towards Naruto and spoke through blood stained teeth,

"Naruto-kun I and your father have given you a chance to become someone great". "We have created something that this village would view as forbidden, but we felt it was necessary". "The power that we have given you will lay dormant for years until it feels it ready to awaken". "It is not just one power that we have given you, but I'm afraid you're going to have to figure that out on your own". "Whatever you face Naruto-kun always know that we love you".

Her eyes slowly began to close as her body had begun to shut down. She lay their motionless with a gentle smile adorning her beautiful face when he suddenly heard a thunderous clap that awakened him.

(Midnight)

(Location Naruto's Bedroom)

'_Mother'_, Naruto immediately shot up from his sleep and began to feel an agonizing burning sensation envelope his entire body. He looked himself over and was shocked to witness his whole body crackling with electricity. His body was undergoing a transformation and he couldn't stop it even if he tried.

Naruto began to scream in agonizing pain from the electricity that was coursing through him intentionally zapping all his nerve endings at once. Naruto could honestly say that this moment was the most painful thing to happen to him in his brief life. It made those constant beating he received from the villager and occasional ninja seem like nothing. He felt like he had been in the most agonizing pain for hours, but in truth only 5 minutes had passed since it began. Finally Naruto stopped convulsing as he lay there and quickly fell into unconsciousness.

(Outside Naruto's Apartment)

The skies were devoid of any light besides the frequent lightning surges that sprawled across the sky. The apartment complex around Naruto's room was mysteriously surround by electricity seemingly preventing anyone from entering and reach anyone inside the complex that only had one tenant, Naruto.

(5 minute earlier)

(Hokage Mansion)

The powerful Sarutobi Hiruzen also known as the Hokage of Village Hidden in the Leaves was sitting behind his desk with a tired face. The cause of this was of course the endless amounts of paperwork that seemed to multiply every day no matter how much he did. Sarutobi sensed a familiar chakra approaching and put the paperwork down and greeted his fellow student,

"Don't take this the wrong way Kakashi, but to what do I owe the great pleasure of having you hear in my presence this late at night". He smiled towards his familiar student that was known around the world as _'Kakashi of the Sharingan'._

Kakashi merely bowed towards the Hokage and reported, "Hokage-sama I have received several reports of witnesses stating that they had seen several lightning strikes directed at the apartment complex the boy Naruto resided in". The veteran Anbu commander saw the hokage tense at the mention of boy's name, but continued anyway.

"Hokage-sama I have sent several of my Anbu to go investigate, but all brought the same result". It appears that Naruto's apartment complex is surrounded by a thin shield of electricity preventing anyone from entering without being severely burned in the process".

The hokage nodded that he understood the situation that was occurring and was extremely worried about Narutos life as he was at this moment surrounded by dangerous lightning currents that could stop his heart in a heartbeat if he is struck even once.

He slowly breathed out and steeled his gaze and commanded, "Kakashi Hatake you are to wait until the lightning has quieted down enough for you to enter the premises and retrieve Naruto's body and bring him to the hospital to treat any injuries that he may have gotten from the lightning do you understand".

Kakashi just nodded and quickly vanished and appeared in front of Naruto's house. He examined the electric barrier that covered the complex and decided to try out something.

He slowly reached towards his arm and firmly grabbed it and gathered his chakra and transform it into electricity. Feeling ready to begin quickly disappeared in a blaze of speed and extended his charged hand towards the electric barrier and shouted _"Chidori"._It met head on with the barrier and created a bright flash and an explosion following it soon after.

Kakashi's _'Chidori'_ had successfully pierced through the electric barrier and the result was that the entire complex was no longer protected by the barrier. Even though he had been successful in breaking through his right arm had become numb from the electricity.

(Meanwhile with Naruto)

Naruto's body had somehow undergone some kind of transformation. He seemed to become taller and stronger.

His body was entirely enveloped by electricity as it continued to spark and crackle without even commanding it to do so. The whole transformation was so exhausting that Naruto quickly fell into unconsciousness and peacefully went to sleep.

Once he saw the barrier disappear he quickly bolted towards his room and practically unhinged the doors and honed in on the body of Naruto as he lay there unmoving.

He immediately sprinted towards him and checked for any vital signs that indicated if he was still alive. He breathed a sigh of relief once confirming that he was fine and was just sleeping. His whole body was singed in burns, but oddly it didn't look that severe even though lightning had basically hit him or so he thought anyways.

His narrowed his eyes and examined Naruto's body that had apparently grown a couple of inches since he last saw him. _'Strange I could've sworn that he was shorter the last time I saw him walking around the village'._ He disregarded that thought and carefully picked his body up, but struggled by the sudden change in weight, _'Geez what has this boy been eating since I last saw him he's freaking heavier than before'._

(Location Konoha Hospital)

Immediately after receiving the news from Kakashi about Naruto's current condition he dropped everything and headed straight to the hospital to check on his precious grandson. The Hokage was meant with some resistance from the counter lady saying that it was impossible to meet him right now, but once she carefully looked at the old man and realized he was the hokage immediately let him pass. Once he had gotten the room number from the lady he sprinted towards the room and was greeted with a standard Konoha medic checking in on Naruto's condition.

The Medic-nin saw that the guest was none other than the hokage himself and immediately introduced himself, "Hello there Hokage-sama I presume you are here to check up on Naruto's condition am I correct? The hokage nodded and carefully examined Naruto's body and was shocked by how different he seemed.

The merely nodded as if he knew what the hokage was thinking already, "Yeah I was pretty shocked myself". "I have never seen such a drastic change in appearance in such a short amount of time before". The doctor carefully demonstrated where the changes had occurred and pointed towards his body, "He was before I believe about 4ft 5in, but know he stand at a firm 5ft tall". "That's quite a change to occur on a 9 year old boy isn't it Hokage-sama?" The hokage nodded understanding that this was not your everyday event.

The doctor's demeanor suddenly went grave, "Hokage-sama I must inform you that the boy has managed to survive a dramatic amount of electricity that would literally kill a dozen full grown men in a heartbeat". The hokage gasped at the news, "How's is that possible he should be dead if that much electricity ran through him shouldn't he?

The doctor merely shrugged and continued writing on his notepad, "That's what most doctors would tell you, but miraculously he not only managed to survive but his body adapted so well that electricity is literally running through his system at this very moment". "It's like he's a human conductor literally".

The hokage managed to compose himself from all this information and sighed, "Do you think this is some kind of Bloodline limit or something of that nature". The doctor finished scribbling on his notepad and gazed at his patient, "I'm afraid that it might be so since I have no other explanation as to how he managed to survive". The doctor sighed, "If you want to name it I would call it Byakurai (white lightning)".

Feeling like he had told the hokage what he knew as of now made his way towards the door, "Don't worry so much Hokage-sama in a couple days he will be as good as new you'll see so try and relax we got it under control". Sarutobi absentmindedly nodded and went to go grab a chair to sit close to his grandson.

(3 hours later)

The hokage groggily opened his eyes and took in the dark room that contained a peacefully sleeping Naruto that had not moved an inch since he had been admitted.

His gaze roamed towards the small clock hanging on the wall and gasped at how much time had passed. It was approximately _'2:00 am'_. He silently got up from his comfortable chair and walked towards Naruto's sleeping body. He examined his body once more and was surprised that his burns were already healed, _'Guess the Kyuubi is responsible for this I suppose'._Seeing that won't awaken anytime soon decided that it was time to leave and head back to the office.

(1 hour later)

(Location Naruto's Mindscape)

A lone boy stood in a desolate area much like the young woman he had seen before in his dream. All around him lightning was constantly striking the earth and scorch the ground from the extreme heat it produced. He gazed upwards and froze when a single lightning bolt came right at him and struck him with its full force. He was expecting to be killed on the spot. Instead of being immediately disintegrated he was completely enveloped by the lightning and seemed to be whispering to him, but couldn't quite understand it.

He listened carefully trying to be able to hear whatever the thing that was trying to talk to him was. His ear began to ring at the sudden outburst that came from inside him, _'Master it is time for you to AWAKEN!_

(Location Konoha Hospital)

He immediately awoke from his slumber and began to panic at his inability to move. It felt like his body was frozen in place, but really he was just numb from the electricity that was coursing through him.

A couple of minutes had passed when he finally was able to feel his body. He examined his environment and quickly knew that he was in the hospital for what? He did not know yet. He cringed at forcing his body to sit upright and noticed that his body would sometime produce a faint spark of electricity. He was very intrigued by how this was happening, but quickly remembered his dream and it all made sense to him.

He gasped at the coldness of the floor and slowly made his way towards the bathroom to have a better understanding of what exactly had changed. He slowly flipped the switch on and carefully examined himself in the mirror. He carefully twisted his face around examining it thoroughly. His face seemed more mature than before as he no longer had the baby fat on his cheeks.

His height had also changed as he was now taller than before. He smirked, "It seems I have changed and for the better I might add", he whispered in a deeper tone. He gasped and reached for his throat_, 'Whoa my freaking voice changed as well awesome now I don't sound like a child anymore even though I still am technically'._

Having finished looking over himself he slowly made his way out of the bathroom and towards the open window in his room. He right arm forward and began to concentrate when finally a couple of sparks began to envelope his right hand. Confident over his control over the electricity he concentrated even more and his whole body in turn began to produce even more electricity than before. His smirk quickly fell when his electricity suddenly all, but vanished.

He tried to reproduce it like before, but miserably failed trying to recreate it, "It seems I need more practice if I ever want to control this new found ability". He gazed towards his hands one again, _'I wonder what else these powers can do for me I guess only time will tell neh'_.


	3. Meet up

_**A/N: Well finally completed another chapter for you guys hope you enjoy it. until next time ENJOY!**_

(3 days later)

(Location Konoha Hospital)

Naruto sighed in annoyance, "Come on doc you got to let me out of here so I can train, he grumbled. I'm starting to go crazy being cramped in this small room only seeing white all over me". He looked over to the doc who was absentmindedly writing down on his note pad not even paying any attention to his little rant, _'how rude!'_.

The doctor sighed and rubbed his temples in annoyance, "For the last time Naruto you will get released in a couple of hours so don't complain. I just got to do a little more test and then you'll be free to go alright". _'Jesus what is it with younger people that don't have any patients now a days',_ he muttered to himself annoyed by how impatient Naruto had been these couple days.

The doctor walked over to the machine that displayed Naruto's vital signs and smiled_, 'Well at least he's recovering nicely and quite honestly he could've been released yesterday by how fast he recovered._ _Not that I would tell him that of course'._

The actual reason Naruto was forced to stay an extra day was to wait for the test results they had run yesterday to see exactly what was going on inside his body. He was very intrigued by how Naruto's body was able to hold such potent electricity inside his body and not be hurt by it at all. It actually seemed to be helping him recover even quicker than normal if the results were accurate.

The doctor chuckled at seeing Naruto puff up his cheeks at being told that he wasn't allowed to leave just yet. _'Even though his body grew physically his mentality is still of one of a 9 year old kid'._ That was another thing that intrigued him was how much he had grown in a single night. It seemed impossible to grow so fast in so little time, but seeing Naruto first hand it didn't seem so far-fetched now.

"Alright Naruto we are almost done I just need one more test from you and your free to go and do whatever you keep constantly spouting".

Naruto slowly turned around his head and carefully opened an eye not convinced by the doctor, "Do you swear that this is the last test old man? Because you've been saying that for the last couple of days and it's always the same". The doctor tried hard not to burst out screaming, _'Stupid little runt calling me old I'm freaking 25. Kids these days have no respect for their elders'._

"I assure you this will be the last test and then you can leave alright". Naruto fully turned around and beamed a smile of victory, "Alright old man you promised so don't forget". The doctor just waved him off, "Yeah yeah kid don't worry about it just come here and take off your clothes so I can inspect your body for any broken bones or anything that will hinder you in any way". Naruto stood frozen and stuttered, "W-why do you need me to take of my clothes? Can't you just feel through them".

The doctor nodded, "I'm sorry Naruto that's not the way it works. I need for you to remove all your clothing so that I can thoroughly check for any bruises or broken bones no excuses". Seeing he wasn't moving from his spot tried to reassure him, "I'll make it easy for you Naruto just take of you shirt so that I can see if you have any broken ribs or trauma in your chest alright".

Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief, _'Thank god I don't have to take all of my clothing off that would be really weird, especially in front of this old man'._ He shivered thinking all sorts of bad thoughts that might happen to him if that ever occurred.

He quickly removed his plain white shirt provided by the hospital and threw it towards the bed. "Alright old man let's get this over with and you better not even think of trying anything on me or I will kill you understand".

The doctor hardened his gaze and filed the blatant threat aimed towards him as future reference to the hokage. _'This boy might have some serious problems to be able to threaten someone so blatantly. I might have to go over his physiological condition later on'. _

The doctor walked towards the boy and kneeled in front of him. "Alright Naruto before I begin you must promise that you'll tell me if anything hurts alright? Taking Naruto's grumble as a yes he carefully glided his hands around his chest feeling for anything out of the ordinary.

His hands roamed towards his ribs and immediately paused once he sensed Naruto tense. "Did that hurt Naruto? He took the silence as a yes. The doctor merely stood up and began writing on his notepad once more, "I am sorry Naruto, but it seems that you may have to stay here and extra day. At least until your rib recovers".

Naruto was beyond annoyed at this point, "What the hell old man you specifically promised that I would be let go today! Not tomorrow. I am fine see". He began jumping in place to show the doctor that he was fine. Silence overtook the room until a raging scream was heard, "Auughh my fucking chest hurts like hell!

The doctor had to bite his tongue or compromise his cool demeanor, but couldn't hold it any longer, "Ha-ha-ha-ha stupid idiot I thought I told you that your ribs have not recovered yet, but did you listen to what the good ol doctor told you? No".

Naruto struggled to stand up from the constant pain from his chest, "Shut up old man and help me or I swear I will tear you ap". Naruto was quickly interrupted by the sound of the sliding door and the appearance of the hokage himself.

The hokage sensed the tension in the air, but decided not to let it bother him. "Ahhh Naruto-kun I see your doing much better glad to see you back on your feet". His gaze shifted towards the doctors, "So tell me doctor-san how is Naruto-kun doing is he healthy enough to leave today?

The doctor negatively nodded, "I'm afraid not Hokage-sama, but don't worry it's nothing serious just some broken ribs that still need some time to finish healing. He should be able to leave by tomorrow morning at the latest". Sarutobi nodded and shifted his gaze back towards Naruto who was not too pleased with what he was hearing. "How are you feeling Naruto-kun?

"Just peachy old man", he spit sarcastically while soothing his chest. The hokage didn't let his tone bother him and just smiled, "That's good to hear Naruto-kun just get some rest and by tomorrow you should be able leave. So don't worry about it you still got plenty of time before your scheduled meeting with Maki-san to begin whatever training she decides to give you".

Naruto eyes opened wide at the realization, "Oh shit I almost forgot about her. He rubbed his head sheepishly; Thanks for reminding me old man who knows what would've happened if I forgot". The hokage's demeanor suddenly changed and the air around the room went cold, "She would kill you Naruto-kun plain and simple".

Naruto closed his eyes and weakly brought his finger up, "Y-your k-kidding r-right? I mean she wouldn't kill me for not showing up would she? The silence in the air was enough for Naruto to start shivering in fright. The thought of getting Maki mad was frightening enough already. He most certainly did not want to find out the hard way.

The tension in the air was broken when a beautiful young nurse came through the door pushing a standard tray that contained the meal for the day. She flashed her magnificent smile and greeted them, "Pardon my interruption Hokage-sama/Doctor-san, but it time for the patient to eat lunch". Both the hokage and the doctor absentmindedly nodded trapped in a trance at the beauty before them.

They were quickly snapped out of it by the _'clang' _of the metal tray hitting the hard floor. "Fuck this crap ass food and fuck you lady for even suggesting it. You will not force me to eat this food again. What the hell are you guys thinking feeding this shit to the patients haven't they suffered enough?

The smile that adorned the beautiful nurse slowly morphed into one of annoyance. She hastily grabbed the steak that had fallen to the floor and shoved it straight into Naruto's mouth. "You will eat it and you will enjoy it do you understand boy! The room was filled with a gurgling sound coming from Naruto who was struggling to breathe. _'Someone get me the fuck out of this goddamn place!_

(4 days later)

(Location Maki's Bedroom)

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_, the alarm clock sitting beside the bed kept ringing and ringing until a small hand slowly made its way towards the snooze button. She forced herself upright and slowly rubbed her eyes out of there sleepy state. She methodically made her way towards the closet door and pulled out her standard uniform and laid it out on the bed. She trudged towards the small bathroom in her room and tiredly removed her clothing and stepped into the shower.

(15 minutes later)

She quickly made her way down the stairs having finished doing her morning ritual that included the standard of bathing, brushing your teeth, etc. She carefully got out the ingredients to make her standard breakfast of scrambled eggs and piece of toast. Biting into her piece of toast she began to mull over the idea if she should make lunch for her and Naruto. She decided she would make a simple lunch that consisted of a dozen neatly cut sandwiches for the both of them.

As she was preparing the simple sandwiches her mind started to wander_, 'This will be the first time anyone will get to eat my homemade lunch, and it's a guy no less'._ As she thought about it more she became more flustered about it, _'Snap out of it this is just a teacher and her student eating lunch together it doesn't mean anything'_. Even though she told herself that this would be a simple lunch she unknowingly put more effort into making them than ever before.

She shrugged her shoulder back trying to loosen up from standing in once place for a while. "Finally I finished. Boy that sure took more time than I thought it would take, but no matter I still got plenty of time before I need to meet with him right? Her gaze roamed over to the small clock in her kitchen and froze. "Shit it's already 7:30 am even though I specifically told him that I would meet him at 7:00 am sharp. What kind of sensei am I?

She immediately grabbed a small basket and packed her sandwiches inside and bolted out the door. Confirming that the door to her house was tightly locked quickly made her way to training ground 8. Hopefully he would still be waiting for her and not giving up and left already. She finally reached her destination and visibly deflated when she didn't any sign that Naruto had been there at all.

She walked towards a big tree that was near the training ground and gently laid the basket under the tree that provided great shading_. 'I guess I might as well start with some light exercise to warm up a bit'._

(4 hours later with Naruto)

An orange blur could be seen jumping from building to building, "Stupid doctor making me late to meet my sensei. Who does he think he is my mother? Test after tests they never stopped coming even though he promised me that would be the last test I would need, and that was almost a week ago! "Hopefully Maki will understand that it wasn't my fault I was late. It was the fucking doctor's fault".

He finally landed in a pretty spacious area sat down and thought, _'hmm now where did she say that we would train at? _After several minutes of intense thinking he finally remembered and shouted startling several of the villagers around him, "Oh yeah she said to meet her at training ground 8!

He quickly sat upright and bolted towards his destination excited to begin on whatever they were going to do. Smirking, _'maybe I get to test out my new power against her wouldn't that be interesting'._

(Location Training Ground 8)

"Geez this place sure is quite a ways from the village", he muttered while approaching the assigned destination. He smiled upon seeing his sensei that was apparently resting from her workout under a huge tree that provided great shade. His smiled dropped when he noticed the faraway look that adorned Maki's face, _'hmm I wonder what she is thinking right now?_

Not wanting to startle her decided to announce his presence upfront, "Hey Maki-chan sorry I'm late just had some trouble on my end", he muttered thinking back to the doctor and his constant tests.

Maki's eyes widened at being caught off guard as she immediately jumped back and crouched lowly with kunai in hand. Her gaze narrowed as she took in the mysterious figure that strangely resembled someone she had seen before, but couldn't quite put it together. Her gorgeous brown eyes quickly morphed into the infamous sharingan of the Uchiha clan and immediately locked on to her opponents ready for anything. She quickly disappeared from sight and reappeared behind Naruto and dug her kunai into his throat. "Who are you? And what do you want with me shinobi-san".

Naruto's warm smile disappeared when he felt the cold steel of the kunai dig dangerously close to his jugular. He stood completely unmoving seemingly unnerved from the situation he was in. To say that he was surprised was an understatement. He was not expecting Maki to be so hostile towards him.

His gaze shifted to the kunai digging into his skin and smirked, "is this the way you greet your student Maki-chan. Because if it is then you really need to learn that you can't just threaten someone who you know next to nothing of what they're capable of".

Maki suddenly yelped at the sudden pain that ran through her body and was forced to drop her kunai and backflip into safety. She examined her arm and was deeply confused, _'What the hell was that? It felt like somebody shocked me'._ Her gaze quickly shifted back to the mysterious stranger and was unsure of what to think of him.

She wiggled her arm bringing back some feeling into her arm and narrowed her eyes to her unmoving opponent, "I'm only going to ask you once more. Who are you? And what do you want with me? and it better be the truth or I will kill you right where you stand". She tensed when she heard her opponent begin to laugh, "oh Maki-chan why are you so blind that you can't figure out such an easy riddle".

She had to hide her surprise when the stranger suddenly vanished from view and the next moment was right in front of her smirking the whole time. Deciding to end this cat and mouse game finally introduced himself. "Come on Maki if you would just take the time and look at my face you could tell that I'm Naruto".

He smirked at the shock on her face when he mentioned his name, but had to quickly go into defense once Maki decided that he was lying to her. Between blows that Naruto was managing to dodge Maki growled out, "Please don't insult me with that blatant lie. You look nothing like my student and for you to disguise yourself to get near me is really pathetic".

He couldn't really blame her for not believing him since the last time they had met which was about a week ago he was several inches smaller than his current self. That dramatic change in height simply did not happen in a week and could understand her hesitation into believing that he was her student. Even he was quite put off by the sudden increase in height, but in the last couple of days he grew to like his new self.

This new power that he had been gifted by his mother made him feel practically unbeatable hence why he wasn't worried one bit by the enraged Maki in front of him. That quickly changed when he felt a sudden increase in speed from Maki and the next thing he saw was the whizzing of trees as he flew quite a ways away.

He cringed at the pressure he felt in his chest by the heavy kick he received as he struggled to get back on his feet. "Geez Maki I didn't know you treated your students this harshly I wonder what the Hokage would say when he saw that you failed your mission due to killing your first ever student".

He chuckled at the shocked look on her face when she finally realized who exactly he was. "Boy Maki-chan it sure took you a while to figure out that I was telling the truth, you must not trust people so easily huh?

Meanwhile Maki was trying to keep her surprise at finding out that the small boy she had caught peeking at her a couple days ago was standing right in front of her. Her sharingan eyes had quickly morphed back to normal from the revelation.

"N-Naruto w-what happened to you? Why are you so much different from the last time I saw you?

Not wanting to tell her the actual reason for his transformation came up with another response that hopefully satisfied her curiosity at least for the moment. "If you could believe it I was hit by lightning and it somehow sped up my growth cells into overdrive making me grow faster than normal. He chuckled and scratched his head hearing how ridiculous that sounded, Well that's what the doctor said when I was brought in".

She silently went into thinking over the excuse Naruto had given her, _'Yes I remember some villagers whispering about someone getting hit by some random lightning strike, but to think it was Naruto the whole time. But why didn't the hokage mention it while I was at his office a couple days ago? Did he not want me to find out? Or did he want to keep the identity of the victim a secret'._

Maki was so deep in thought she didn't hear Naruto walk up to her and carefully gazed into her eyes. "Umm you may think this is weird, but could you show me your sharingan Maki-chan?

Maki quickly snapped out of her trance and stared at Naruto, "Why do you want to look at my sharingan Naruto? Naruto just chuckled at being called out, "Well I just want to get a closer look at them is all".

Maki narrowed her eyes and leaned on her hip, "Are you sure that's the only reason you want to see them Naruto-kun? Naruto just nodded not really sure if she would buy his excuse. She sighed in defeat and motioned for him that it was okay.

She concentrated her chakra towards her eyes and immediately transformed into her sharingan. She smirked at the excitement that was rolling off Naruto in waves. "So what do you think about my sharingan Naruto-kun pretty impressive huh?

He just nodded, "Hey Maki-chan when did you get your sharingan? Maki closed her eyes and proudly stated, "Well to answer your first question I was about 10 years old when I finally unlocked my sharingan. But the eyes you're looking at right now took me 2 full years of harsh training to finally be able to reach the level 2 stage of the sharingan".

Maki saw Naruto's confusion and decided to tell him a bit about the sharingan, "Well you see the small black dots around my eyes. He nodded; well that indicates what stage of the sharingan you're in. Once you have three small dots around both eyes it signifies that you have finally reached the final stage and evolved your vision to its greatest potential".

Naruto was about to ask another question, but was intercepted by Maki, "before you ask why I haven't reached that stage yet I'll simply tell you that I need more training alright".

"Can you explain what you see when you use your sharingan on someone". Maki smirked at his curiosity, "The real ability of the sharingan is being able to practically learn every jutsu the user sees, but another handy ability is being able to accurately predict what your opponents' next move is going to be. That's why it's almost impossible to sneak up on the user".

"Umm then why was I able to startle you just a couple of minutes ago? Maki huffed at being reminded of that incident, "W-well I d-didn't have them activated that time alright".

Naruto laughed and scooted even closer forcing her to control her building embarrassment from feeling Naruto's hot breath on her skin. She breathed a sigh of relief when he finally stepped away from her. "Man having a sharingan is so cool why can't I have one? That's so not fair".

Maki smiled seeing him pout over the fact that she had something he didn't, "Don't worry about it Naruto-kun you don't need it to be strong". He sighed,

"Yeah I suppose your right Maki-chan I got something even better than that anyways". Maki sweat dropped by his sudden change in attitude, but was slightly intrigued by what he meant by saying he had _'something better'. _

Looking to feed her curiosity asked him, "Hey Naruto-kun what did you mean that you have something better? Last time I checked you were still just a kid with no training whatsoever". Naruto simply dismissed her question, "Don't worry about it Maki-chan it doesn't concern you".

Maki narrowed her eyes at the blatant avoidance of the question, but took his advice and dismissed the thought… for now at least. "Hey Naruto-kun are you hungry? Because I made some extra sandwiches if you want them".

Naruto neared her and whispered, "Maki-chan was this the reason you were waiting for me this whole time? So you could invite me to eat lunch with you under this beautiful huge tree how bold of you", he growled suggestively.

Maki's cheeks reddened in embarrassment since it did look like she had waited for him to come. "N-no y-you idiot w-what m-makes you think I was waiting for you", she stuttered not prepared at being called out on her motivation.

She puffed her cheeks and turned around, "I just wanted for us to eat a nice lunch together as a student and sensei. Is that too much to ask? Naruto chuckled at Maki's pouting face making her seem like a child that was accused of stealing something. Very different from the Kunochi that was ready to kill him just a few minutes ago.

Maki was greeted with the gentle smile from Naruto making her even more embarrassed than before, _'He sure looks hot when he smiles like that'. _She silently gasped at her indecent thought_, 'What the hell am I thinking, get it together Maki he's just a kid. A very hot kid I might add'_. Not wanting to waste any more time quickly made her way towards the basket that hid under the tree.

She reached into the basket and snatched a sandwich from it and handed it to a smiling Naruto, "H-here e-eat it! I k-know you're hungry", stuttering all the while avoiding his eyes. Naruto happily accepted her generous offer and carefully inspected it, "boy Maki-chan this sure looks like you spend quite a deal of time on making this for me. I hope it's as good as it looks don't you agree?

Maki patiently waited for him to take a bite of it and tell her what he thought, "w-well h-how do they taste? She whispered.

Naruto had no reason to lie_, _"There really good Maki-chan did your mom help you make these? If she did you she must be a very good teacher". Naruto noticed Maki flinch at the mention of her mother and quickly understood the reason why.

"You don't have any parent's do you Maki? He took her silence as a yes and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry I even brought it up Maki-chan, for reminding you of a time sweeter than today". He was contemplating whether or not to comfort her, but quickly erased that thought when he saw her smiling once again. _'That beautiful smile of her's is truly a sight to see'._

"It's alright Naruto-kun you didn't know about my parents. She fiercely wiped her face from the remaining tears and beamed a smile. "Come on Naruto-kun I'll take you somewhere that I'm sure you'll love".

Naruto suddenly felt a very warm feeling surrounding his hand pulling him away from the training ground. "Umm Maki-chan not that I'm not enjoying your warm hand in mine, but where the hell are we going? Maki's cheeks reddened by his blatant compliment, "T-trust m-me N-Naruto-kun you're going to love it. I practically go all the time it's called Ichiraku Ramen!


	4. Tension

_**A/N: Well finally another chapter completed and a heads up I'm going to start school soon so the updates will get less frequent but other than that ENJOY!**_

(10 minutes later)

(Location near Ichiraku Ramen Stand)

Naruto had been since let go by from Maki's hand as they made their way towards the Ichiraku stand that she had proclaimed served the best food in this whole village. Of course he would have to agree with her since it was practically the only place he would go when he was hungry, and it was pretty cheap as well.

The walk towards the stand was pretty uneventful apart from the constant glares he still received even though he was much different than before. _'I guess you can't change who they are can you?_ He started to notice that some of the glares where also directed at her. His gaze shifted towards Maki's oblivious face_, 'hmm I wonder if she even notices? If she does then she's got a really good poker face, could've fooled me'_.

"Hey Maki-chan do you feel anything different while you're walking? Without even turning her head she immediately answered, "hmm not particularly why do you ask Naruto-kun? Naruto hid his suspicion and shrugged, "no particular reason just thought I should ask". Maki just nodded and continued walking towards the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

(5 minutes later)

(Location just outside the ramen stand)

Naruto smiled when he saw her quicken her pace as they were nearing the place of choice. He quickened his pace to match her's, "Hey hey Maki-chan calm down where here already there's no need to run to it". Maki just ignored him and continued running towards the stand, "yes there is Naruto-kun don't you know this is a race and you better hurry up or you're going to lose to a girl ha-ha".

Maki of course won the sudden race and quickly opened the small curtain that hanged from the top and politely greeted them. "Hello Ayame-chan and Teuchi-san", she cheerfully waved to them and sat down on one of the empty stand chairs. They equally greeted her with a smile and a wave, "Hey there Maki-chan I'm surprised you're here today I thought you said you were going to be to eat lunch with your student and wouldn't be able to make it today. She stood in a thinking pose, what was his name again?

Maki was slightly shocked that she would reveal her motivation towards Naruto who she seemingly hadn't even noticed at all.

She racked her brain as to how that was possible since he practically lit the whole stand up with his hideous bright orange jumpsuit that he wore. _'Who in the world gave him that thing anyways?_ "I didn't say that Ayame-chan! What I said was that I _may_ not come today, but things changed alright! She huffed and glared at a bored looking Naruto who was looking into nowhere in particular. _'What the hell is he thinking about anyways?_

Naruto noticed the silence in the room and shifted his eyes towards a glaring Maki. _'Hmm it seems like she wants me to introduce myself to them. Even though I've met them before I don't know if they will recognize me since a lot has changed in the past couple days'_. Naruto lazily stood up and bowed towards them, "Hello there Ayame-san Teuchi-san I am Maki-Chan's student Uzumaki Naruto".

The folks at the Ichiraku Ramen stand were a bit startled by the sudden deep voice that filled their empty stand. Ayame's vision quickly snapped towards the male sitting next to Maki and was wondering whether he had barely entered or not.

There was this nagging feeling in her conscious telling her that she had heard that name before, _'Uzumaki Naruto'_. She reluctantly dismissed the correlation to another small boy that was named the same and even looked the same. Granted the person in front of her looked much older than the other

Ayame quickly recovered as her startled face morphed into a smile, "Ah hello there Naruto-san were you perhaps here the whole time? She blushed in embarrassment at being so oblivious, "if you were then I am deeply sorry for not noticing".

Naruto nonchalantly dismissed her apology, "There is no need to apologize Ayame-san since you are correct. I barely walked into the stand since Maki-chan was kind enough to invite me for lunch".

Ayame nodded as her smiled turned into a more devilish smirk, "Sooo its Maki-chan now huh? She glared towards Maki who was fighting to avoid her gaze; I didn't think it was possible for our little Maki-chan to get a boyfriend, let alone a hunk like you Naruto-kun". She purred suggestively hoping to make Maki even more embarrassed and let's just say it worked like a charm.

"N-no H-he is N-not my boyfriend Ayame-chan and for your information he is barely 9 years old! She puffed her cheeks and tried to control her building blush from the outrageous accusation Ayame had implied.

Ayame for the most part remained impassive at the information she had just received. _'Wow this guy sitting right in front of me is only 9 years old, that's pretty hard to believe considering he looks much older than what Maki is saying'._ Her gaze shifted towards Maki who was desperately trying to hide her building blush giving her an idea.

"So what if he's only 9 years old your only 12 years old Maki that's only a 3 year difference I could live with that can't you? She fought to control her increasing laughter at seeing Maki's shocked face.

Meanwhile Maki stood frozen in place as thoughts continued to bombard her mind, _'What the hell is she thinking by saying all those comments? Can't she see that we are just friends? B-but she does have a point, 3 years is not that big of a difference in age and Naruto could easily pass as a teenager'_.

Ayame smirked at Maki's internal struggle and was pleased that she was still able to embarrass her from time to time. She liked to tease her since she considered Maki as her little sister and felt that it was her job as a big sister to watch over her. Her gaze shifted towards the silent boy carefully watching the exchange between them.

She wouldn't say it to his face, but this Naruto kid really gave her the creeps by how silent he was. Always watching but never interfering into their conversation_, 'I got to watch out for this guy he seems to hold many secrets under that stoic mask of his'_. She was rudely snapped out of her trance by the deep and clear voice of the boy.

"Is something the matter Ayame-san? She silently gasped and being called out, but managed to recover, "N-no nothings the matter Naruto-san". Her gaze quickly shifted towards a slightly confused Maki, "A-alright today's meal is on the house for both of you in celebration of Maki finally being able to make a friend".

Maki smiled and cheerfully ordered herself the usual which consisted of 4 bowls of miso ramen and another 4 bowls of pork ramen. Ayame merely shrugged figuring she was going to pick that, but was more amused with Naruto's surprised face at the humungous order Maki just made. She suddenly face faulted at Naruto's remark towards Maki's huge order.

"Boy Maki-chan you sure you can eat all that by yourself? I always thought that girls would eat less and lean towards the more healthy options, but apparently you don't care whether you get fat or not huh? I got to say you're a really unique girl Maki-chan". He beamed her a very sincere smile telling her that he had meant what he said to her and did not think for a moment that it would insult Maki, but boy was he ever wrong.

Silence overtook the small ramen stand. He shifted his gaze towards Maki hoping to find out what was happening, "Hey Maki-chan why did it suddenly get so quite in hear did I say something wrong?

Maki forcefully clenched her shaking fist and glared towards an oblivious looking Naruto. Her sharingan instinctively activated from the sheer emotions Maki was feeling towards a certain blond fellow sitting next to her.

Naruto noticed that Maki had activated her sharingan, "umm Maki-chan why did you activate you're sharingan while we are eating? He didn't need to guess any longer as the next thing he saw was a flying fist heading straight towards his unprotected face.

Her trembling fist quickly made contact as it forcefully threw him out of the ramen stand a couple feet away. He tried to shake off the cobwebs at being hit so hard in the head, but was having a hard time standing back up.

Meanwhile Maki stormed out of the ramen stand and stomped towards a downed Naruto forcefully pulling him up by his collar and glaring right into his eyes.

"Naruto are you a natural born idiot? Didn't anybody ever teach you that you never and I mean ever say that a girl eats too much and is going to get fat. Those are taboo word for a reason, who knows what might've happened to you if you had said those words to a girl who couldn't control her temper. I know what would've happened you would've been killed on the spot!

Naruto just scoffed at the irony of her words and nonchalantly shrugged her off of him. _'If only you would notice the irony in what you're saying Maki-chan'._ He noticed that her eyes had already reverted back to her normal eyes indicating that she wasn't mad at him anymore.

Once he was done dusting himself off began to slowly walk towards the ramen stand once again. As they neared the ramen stand he suddenly paused and without turning around warned her, "Next time you want to prove a point Maki-chan please try not to resort to violence or _I will kill you_ understand?

Her sharingan immediately flared up at the clear threat coming from her student as her mind tried to understand what he just said. She had to fight the urge to not tremble in fear at the icy tone he spoke with. The tension in the air was quickly broken by a laughing Naruto.

"I was only kidding Maki-chan I would never hurt my precious sensei, but man oh man you should've seen you're face. He proceeded to demonstrate her terrified face, man I must've been pretty convincing to get that reaction out of you huh".

Maki puffed her cheeks and looked away, "P-please what makes you think I was scared at all". Naruto just waved her off and motioned for her to follow him, "Come on Maki-chan let's go back in before they start to worry about you".

While Maki and Naruto entered the small ramen stand Ayame was amused at the sight of the ever confident Maki obediently following behind Naruto. As soon as she sat down she immediately began to eat her first couple bowls of miso ramen.

"Hey Ayame-san can you please get me a large bowl of miso ramen with all the toping included thank you". The ramen girl just chuckled at his order and shouted to the back, "Did you get that dad? The old man just nodded and began to make his order.

She gently placed the bowl down and beamed a smile at him, "There you go Naruto-san hot and steaming enjoy!

Naruto quietly began to eat his miso ramen as he tried to enjoy his meal, but for some reason it didn't taste quite the same as it used too. It wasn't like it was completely uneatable it just lacked something from it. He couldn't figure out what exactly the reason was, but ever since last week he has been craving less of ramen which he thought was complete blasphemy at first.

He carefully drank the soup remaining from his bowl and kept a careful eye on Maki who was wolfing down almost every choice in the menu. Even the awful looking ones that he told himself didn't exist on the menu like the vegetables soup. Satisfied with his meal gently put his bowl down.

He shifted his gaze towards Maki who was just about done and simply waited for her as he had no idea what they would do next. Maki waved her goodbyes to Ayame and the old man and motioned for Naruto that it was time to leave. Maki carefully looked him over and mentally nodded that this was the right thing to do.

"Alright Naruto-kun how about we go get you some new pair of clothes? If you want to be a ninja you need to be stealthy and honestly you have no hope in that department wearing those hideous bright clothing. It's like firing a flare gun in the middle of a pitch blacked forest". She continued to mock at the choice in clothing Naruto wore and was honestly not expecting him to give them up so easily

Naruto merely nodded, "Yeah I suppose your right Maki-chan I do need some new clothing. I actually planned on going after lunch, but going with someone as cute as my sensei might be a better idea than going alone don't you think? He smirked at the blushing girl right next to him and it made him think if she has ever had a boyfriend.

She childishly pushed him from the back and led him to her favorite clothing store and was honestly excited to be able to pick out clothing for someone much less a guy.

(10 minutes later)

(Location Standard Clothing Store)

Naruto was a bit nervous since he had never gone through this part of town and didn't know how people would react with his presence. He was pleasantly surprised by their lack of attention. He was brought back from his thinking by a warm feeling around his shoulder.

"Well here we are Naruto-kun this is where I do all my shopping and don't worry about spending too much since it's relatively cheap here. Well might as well go in already no reason to stand out here and waste our precious time". Maki grabbed him from the hand and began pulling him inside.

Naruto's heart jumped a little at seeing a smiling Maki seemingly undisturbed by all the stares coming their way.

They busted through the front door excited to begin, but were immediately greeted by the owner forcing them to stop.

"Welcome young customers please look over our fine selection in clothing and if you're seeking to reinvent yourselves then this is the place to begin. Or if you're here to buy a whole wardrobe full of clothing then all the power to you my precious customers. His demeanor quickly turned serious as he shifted his gaze between the both of them, but you must absolutely buy something though".

Seeing that they both understood quickly smiled once again and went to attend another customer that was ready to checkout. "Boy Maki-chan wasn't that guy a little off? Maki just shrugged, "You'll get used to it eventually, he practically does it every time I come here so it's not a big deal, and he's actually pretty nice in a weird sort of way". Naruto just nodded and was immediately pulled towards the back of the store.

They finally stopped near the isle that read _'Men's Clothing' _and for the most part he was forced to wait a good amount of time for Maki to decide on which type of clothing best suited him according to _her_. Naruto for the most part didn't mind waiting for her, he actually enjoyed the peacefulness that it brought doing absolutely nothing.

Naruto was rudely snapped out of his peaceful state and was handed out an outfit that Maki thought would look good on him. "Go try that out in those changing areas over there Naruto-kun and once you're done come out and show me alright".

Naruto followed her instructions and went towards one of the many changing room provided by the store. He silently entered an empty one and quickly began to change to the outfit that Maki had chosen for him.

The outfit consisted of a dark blue undershirt with a black jacket over it and black shinobi pants with steeled toed boot to finish it. It was a simple outfit, but he didn't mind since he felt relatively comfortable in it and that's all that matter to him. Naruto smirked at the huge smile plastered on Maki's face, "Man Naruto-kun you sure look hot in that outfit, she immediately tried to correct herself, I-I m-mean y-you look handsome in that outfit.

He smirked at Maki's vain attempt to conceal her building blush, "Thanks for the compliment Maki-chan how about we go pay for them already? Maki just nodded and followed him towards the front counter. As soon as they arrived Naruto had already taken out his small Froggy that contained his allowance to pay the man, but was immediately denied by a smiling Maki.

"Don't worry about paying for this Naruto-kun since I was the one that brought you here it's only fair that I pay for your outfit". Naruto hesitantly agreed and watched Maki pay the man. He smiled at the cute little cat purse that Maki had, _'so Maki-chan likes cats huh'._

Having finished paying they both said their goodbyes to the owner and were shocked when they noticed that it had already become dark outside. They both gazed towards each other until Maki was about to start a conversation that was quickly interrupted by a quick thinking Naruto. "So Maki-chan can I walk you home tonight? Maki lightly blushed at the sudden request, but agreed and slowly led Naruto towards her house.

(15 minutes later)

(Location Maki's house near the Uchiha District)

The moon shone brightly by the time they arrived at her home which was surprisingly quite far away from his own home. It was so far away that his home was practically all the way on the other side of the village, but there was one thing that intrigued him. "Hey Maki-chan aren't we going to the Uchiha District? Naruto was curious as to why Maki was living just a bit outside the main compound.

Maki stayed silent and instead invited Naruto to come into her home, but was unsure whether that was such a good idea. "Umm not that I don't want to, but don't you think it's kind of weird for me to be entering your house in the middle of the night?

Maki merely shrugged and entered her house, "Do what you want Naruto-kun I was only inviting you inside it's not like we are going to do anything. I just want to talk that's all". Sighing in defeat slowly made his way inside her house and carefully closed the door behind him.

He noticed the house was pretty spacious for living by yourself. The living room was in front of him and to the left was a small kitchen and he presumed her bedroom was upstairs. He saw her preparing some tea and motioned for him to sit on the couch and wait for her.

A couple minutes later she set the tea on the small table and carefully poured herself and Naruto a cup. She sipped some tea and gently laid it back on the table, "Naruto-kun since I am going to be around you for quite some time I figured you should know a bit about me.

Seeing Naruto understand continued, "As you have noticed Naruto-kun I live alone. The reason that I live alone is that when I was about 10 years old both my parent died while they were on a mission together. I was never told the specifics on how they died, but the hokage assured me that they died protecting the Leaf Village. When my parent were alive we did live in the Uchiha District like you guessed and when they passed away they still allowed me to stay there, but that didn't last long".

Her gaze shifted towards the floor and sighed, "The incident happened while I was coming back from the grocery store at about 10:30 pm I believe since I couldn't go during the day having started the academy which took most of the time out of my day. Long story short I awakened my eyes during the confrontation I had with some nasty men wanting to do who knows what to me and to put it bluntly the clan did not like it whatsoever".

Maki noticed the confused look that Naruto gave and quickly explained, "The reason that they were furious with me was that I was the only female member of the whole clan that had awakened their sharingan eyes which thought to be non-existent in females and believed were only passed down by the males". Naruto saw Maki's eyes start to water as she continued the story, but decided against comforting her wanting to hear the whole story.

"Once they found out that I had awakened my eyes the Uchiha elders immediately agreed to disown me from the clan and the worst part of this was that they absolutely forbid me from having children or any kind of relationship with a guy. Stating if I ever gave birth to children my inferior sharingan would get passed down and would taint the Uchiha's reputation with my eyes".

Maki's face seemed to look beyond the walls of her home as she told him about her dream, "You know Naruto-kun my dream is to someday leave this accursed village and be able to start a family with someone that would cherish me for what I am and not care that I am an Uchiha but. Maki silently began to cry, "B-but I-I know that is only a fools dream since the council has forbid me from ever leaving the village even for a mission".

Maki finally had finished telling her story as her gaze shifted towards Naruto who just sat there with a stone seemingly thinking nothing about what she just said. He quickly stood up and headed towards the door. Maki was confused at what he was doing, "Naruto where the hell are you going? I just poured my heart out to you and your simply going to walk away and not say anything! She screamed not believing what he was doing.

Naruto slowly turned his head and coldly replied, "I grew tired of your little sob story and simply wanted to go back home".

Maki stood frozen not believing how insensitive Naruto was being right now. Her face quickly morphed into one of seething anger, "You asshole what the hell do you know about the pain I had to endure through all these years of always being alone and avoided like I was some sort of plague".

Naruto simply turned around and continued through the door and began walking in the empty streets, but not before being confronted by Maki. "Hey Naruto why are you acting like this I thought we were friends? She shouted desperately trying to save the only thing she had to look forward to in life.

Naruto stood frozen in place and growled, "Maki-chan you are much too naïve to even believe that you have it hard, compared to me you live in a paradise. If you really want to achieve those dreams of yours you must be strong and not give in to those pathetic rules that the council enforces".

Maki not knowing what he was talking about and believing he was just full of himself harshly replied, "What do you know about life? You're just a kid! I bet you're just jealous that my parents cared about me and yours didn't since you're such a cold hearted bastard! Am I right Naruto?

She witnessed Naruto's whole body begin to spark and the air around him began to crackle from the intense electricity beginning to form around Naruto. The night sky quickly began to darken around them as the tension in the air was rapidly increasing from every passing moment.

Her sharingan quickly activated and was spinning wildly in preparation for the incoming battle, but was confused when she saw Naruto quickly power down.

"Maki-chan me and you are more alike than you might think. You see I too am all alone desperately trying to find a purpose in this cruel forsaken world". He smiled as he recalled the earlier event, "I was honestly happy when you took me out to lunch and to go buy clothes as it was the first time I felt I had a friend".

His face morphed back into one of coldness, "you've got to realize something Maki-chan at least you have happy memories with your family and that is one thing I will never have no matter how hard I try". She stood frozen at what Naruto had just said to her. She would've never looked at her situation that way and was honestly happy that she had a lot of happy memories with her parents and with the way Naruto had implied he had never been with his family.

Maki felt the need to apologize for saying all those things not even knowing how his life was like before they had met up. "Naruto I'm so sorry for saying all those things about your parents I didn't even try and ask you about your life". Her heartfelt words fell into the silence of the night since Naruto had long since disappeared into the shadows.


	5. The price of Power

_**A/N: Well finally completed another chapter hope you all enjoy it see ya!**_

(1 month later)

(Location Naruto's Apartment Complex)

The sky was devoid of any light signifying that it was the end of the day and the glow of the moon would wash over the silent village. A lone figure could be seen lying on top of a decently sized apartment complex. His eyes were unwavering as they gazed towards the empty sky that held no hope in his pathetic life.

Ever since that confrontation he had with Maki things haven't been the same since then. He still showed up for _training_ either ways, but things were extremely awkward between them. It was like they wanted to apologize to one another, but at the same time were to prideful to admit they were both wrong.

Naruto knew that he needed to apologize first since it was pretty much his fault things got too out of hand that night. He detested this new side of him of always being angry inside, but where this anger had come from was unknown.

Sure the village always put him down whenever they could, but that never brought this much anger in him. Another thing that he had noticed was that ever since that night the villagers had been less hostile towards him not that he didn't mind of course, but still it brought the question why? Were they somehow afraid of him from his dramatic change in appearance or was another cause altogether.

All he knew was that ever since that night his constant beatings were nonexistent and the hate filled glares were now filled with fright. This was not the way he wanted for people to seem his as, but he had no control of how the people depicted him as being. The way they glared at him while walking somewhere was always filled with caution. They knew if they somehow angered him there would be dire consequences.

Of course to him this wasn't true. He would never kill someone out of something so miniscule such as looking at him funny, but apparently that was the way the villager saw him as. His gaze shifted towards his shaking hands and struggled to keep them under control.

They thirsted for blood for anything that would lead them to take another life. This constant feeling of bloodthirstiness always gnawed at his mind forcing him to become more aware of his emotion's or risk unleashing something even he was afraid of.

The constant suppression of his emotions came at a price. The people around him now saw him as a cold hearted individual. Even when meeting the people he knew like the folks at the Ichiraku Ramen stand they always kept their attitude in check in fear of angering him.

Even Maki was a bit wary towards him even though she had known him since the beginning, but not all things were bad though. The power he had been given was steadily getting more and more powerful from each passing day. He could detect danger more efficiently now and his control over his electricity had grown significantly. He could now will it to manifest into offensive and defensive forms.

His spars with Maki were also starting to become one sided. This switch in balance confused his sensei since she didn't know how in the world Naruto was able to improve so much in such little time. It was unheard of that a kid with no academy training whatsoever was able to keep up with a veteran genin.

The Jounin were intrigued about his lightning powers claiming that they had never seen such efficiency in the element before, at least not in the land of fire anyways. They praised him for his power for one so young, but warned him of his cold demeanor towards his superiors. They constantly lectured him on how he needed to be more involved in others, but to him that seemed like a lot of work

At first he reveled in the feeling of power coursing through him, but as time went by this power felt like a curse. It wasn't like he couldn't be beaten far from it, but it wasn't like he couldn't handle himself if the situation demanded it. His silent muse was interrupted when a thunderous roar invaded his ears as the sky began to pour rain. The rain was ice cold quickly drenching him, but he didn't care as the rain was a sort of reminder that he was still alive.

Naruto slowly got himself up from where he laid and in the blink of an eye disappeared into the night. The rain quickly washed away his scent leaving no evidence he was there in the first place.

(Location Empty Street in Konoha)

He silently reappeared in a barren looking street that was filled with the silence of the night. His eyes narrowed when he felt quite a few signatures that were following him. He didn't want to alert them that he had sensed them so continued to walk at an even pace seemingly undisturbed by the silent shadows watching him. He was curious to find out what their reason was for following him so discretely so allowed them to continue their watch.

He wasn't worried at being attacked from behind since his new ability to morph his electricity around him could pretty much block anything physical or at least deflect most of the damage it would've done before hand. This ability to shield himself from harm was far from perfect. He needed to have perfect control over his electricity for this to work and thanks to the constant use of it was steadily becoming easier to summon.

The pelting of the rain hitting the hard ground was the only sound that pierced through the silence of the night. His whole body by now was drenched in water as his clothes stuck tightly to his skin. He didn't mind being wet he actually enjoyed the feeling it brought. It was like it was washing away all your troubles from your skin and was replacing them with an empty slate.

His eyes caught light of the stairs that lead up to the Hokage Mountains. This place was one of his favorite places to hang out at ever since that time when the Hokage had taken him when he was first being admitted into the orphanage. He firmly told him that everything was going to be okay and not to worry about anything saying that he would protect me. Of course his naïve old self immediately believed him without a second thought since he really had no other choice as he was all alone.

(5 minutes later)

(Location on top of the Hokage Mountains)

A couple of minutes had passed since he began his journey up the long flight of stairs, but couldn't help but smile at the familiar scene before him. _'Man this place hasn't changed one single bit since I came here with the old man a while ago. Kind of makes you wonder if this place will ever change? _His face became neutral once again as he stood on top of the stone head of one of the greatest shinobi that ever lived, his father of course.

He knew that the Fourth Hokage was his father from the constant images that flowed through his head provided by his dreams. His dreams over time had become more real than the last and it was a constant reminder that his family was gone. He even went as far as blaming his parents for this curse of loneliness they had given him. That of course didn't last telling himself that it was necessary. He knew that his parents loved him and that was all he needed to be able to move forward.

His bright blue eyes roamed the silent village below him. The village was mostly dark except for some lights that came from the 24/7 stores that were scattered throughout the village providing anyone food at any time. Even the hokage mansion was silent. _'I guess even the most powerful people in the village need their sleep as well'._

Even though he could not see them with his own eyes he knew that the group that was following him before were carefully watching him. He hated the fact that he couldn't pinpoint their exact location enforcing the fact that he still needed more training.

His head leaned towards the sky and slowly closed his eyes feeling the cold rain pour against his face. He questioned what his goal was in life apart from avenging his parents deaths, but what was his _goal_? His whole life he has only had this mindset of getting stronger so that nobody would ever be able to mess with him and get away unharmed. That dream of getting stronger was still very much alive, but ever since acquiring this lightning power from his parents that goal had waned a bit.

His personality had also made a dramatic change in the last couple of weeks. He was more goofy and childish before, but now he has become a lot more serious in life. His dream of becoming Hokage of this village had all but shattered knowing that the current generation would never acknowledged him until he did something dramatic.

He once again closed his eyes and smelled the cold atmosphere that radiated from the storm occurring and it gave him a sense of peace. This feeling of peace made him feel that he belonged in the storm with the lightning as odd as that sounded. Wanting to test something out slowly brought his arms up and in the blink of an eye was quickly enveloped by the lightning that the storm was producing. It made him feel a hundred times more powerful than before and it brought this feeling of acceptance.

He slowly brought his arms down and struggled to relax from all the electricity that was flowing through him. It made his body glow with a faint hue of blue with all the electricity inside of him.

Feeling the energy settling down brought his cold eyes towards the trees where he believed the intruders were hiding at. "I know you're there you can't fool me so make it easy on yourselves and come out or I will force you to come out your choice". His clear threat lingered in the air as he felt them tense up from the surprise at being found out so quickly.

He narrowed his eyes when seeing the mysterious figures fully geared in Anbu gear with animal masks covering their faces keeping their identity's unknown. The supposed leader of the group walked up and respectfully bowed, "Uzumaki-san we were sent here by our leader to make you an offer". Naruto slowly nodded wanting to know what this offer was all about, "Our leader offers you the chance to train under him and become more powerful than what you're capable of right now".

Naruto merely scoffed, "Tell me Anbu-san how does your leader know how powerful I am or what I'm capable of? The Anbu stood unmoving seemingly unafraid of what stood before him, "Our leader has many eyes Uzumaki-san and saw that you have a lot of potential within you and simply wanted you to become stronger.

Naruto nodded, "So what do I have to do for this leader of yours to train me Anbu-san? The Anbu leader smirked which of course went unnoticed behind his mask, "The only thing you must do before he agrees to train you is to kill your current sensei, Uchiha Maki I believe her name was".

Naruto's demeanor changed dramatically at the mention of Maki's name. His body language was implying death towards the Anbu in front of him for even mentioning her name. He brought his cold gaze towards them and answered, "I refuse your proposition Anbu-san", his tone deathly serious.

The leader of the mysterious Anbu group didn't even flinch at Naruto's response. It's as if he already knew what his answer was going to be all along. He slowly nodded, "Very well Uzumaki-san, but the offer still stands if you change your mind. You must simply kill the Uchiha and my master will train you and bring you power beyond what you believed was even capable".

Naruto simply laughed at the assumption that his supposed leader had made about him, "Very well Anbu-san I will demonstrate what kind of power I am capable of wielding by killing you all". He growled and quickly disappeared into the night.

The last thing the group of Anbu saw was a bright blue flash falling towards them from the sky itself completely decimating them on the spot. Naruto quickly reappeared and gazed towards the ashes of the once alive Anbu. "Next time you ever threaten someone close to me I won't make your death so quick of course your already dead so it doesn't matter anymore does it". There was no trace that the Anbu were even there all that was left were the ashes that were quickly flying away.

(Location Deep Underground Konoha)

A mysterious man wrapped in bandages was patiently waiting for his team to return from their mission. He expected them to return immediately, but as time went by that seemed more and more unlikely. The mysterious figure sat in the darkness seemingly comfortable with the silence in the room.

The silence was broken when a shadow appeared and kneeled before their leader, "Danzo-sama I'm sorry to report that Uzumaki-san has denied are offer". The man now identified as Danzo merely stared at his young Anbu Root, "I knew he would not comply with the offer, but what happened to the original team I sent out?

Danzo narrowed his eyes at the young recruit, "I'm once again sorry to report that Uzumaki-san killed them before they had a chance to escape". Danzo didn't even flinch on the outside, but on the inside his mind was racing. 'How in the world did that damn brat get enough power to defeat my trained Anbu by himself?

Danzo silently sat up and walked deeper into the shadows, "We will just have to do this the hard way I suppose", and sunk into the shadows of the base that he reside in.

(Location Empty Street)

Naruto didn't know how to feel at his first ever kill, but at least he knew that it was for the best. Naruto was still soaked in water as he continued to walk in the empty streets gazing towards the darkness at the end of the street. _'Why would they want me to kill Maki-chan? It doesn't make any sense. What I do know is that I will do anything in my power to stop that from happening'._

Naruto continued walking towards his house when he heard a very faint cry of what he thought was a small child.

He quickly leaped up to the roof the building and leapt across them trying to isolate where the noise was coming from. After a couple minutes had passed he finally was able to sense where the cry was coming from. He silently jumped down and was surprised to see a small child about the age of 5 trembling under a deteriorated roof barely shielding her from the ice cold rain that was relentlessly pouring from the unforgiving sky.

He slowly walked over to the shivering small child and gently covered her body with his jacket hoping to stop her shivering. The small young girl yelped in surprise from the sudden warmth enveloping her and was shocked to see a boy with blond hair gazing at her with a blank face. "W-who a-are y-you and what do you want with me? The small girl shouted clearly frightened by the sudden intruder in front of her.

Naruto merely ignored her tone and kneeled down to eye level and gently smiled hoping to calm the girl down, "Hi there kid my name is Naruto Uzumaki and may I ask what your name is?

The small girl noticed Naruto's friendly tone and decided that it was okay to answer him, "M-my n-name is C-chi'. Naruto nodded and smirked, "That's a very unique name Chi don't you think? The girl seemed to take offense to that and puffed up her cheeks and grumbled, "W-well yours is even funnier than mine I mean what kind of name is Naruto? I've never even heard of such a name and for your information most people think Chi is a very cute name! She finished and turned away with a fake look of anger.

Naruto just patted her head and smiled, "I see Chi my name could be considered as a bit unique, but you've got to admit Chi isn't the most common name in this village either now is it? Chi just pouted and being called out, but was quickly brought out of this when she felt Naruto become serious.

"Chi can you tell me why you are here all alone in the middle of the night? Where are your parent Chi?

The small girl looked down in sorrow not willing to answer his question, but answered it anyways, "I-I d-don't have any parents and I ran away from the orphanage a couple of hours ago". Naruto removed his hand from her head and stood up, "Chi you need to go back to the orphanage or you will die out here all by yourself with no food or shelter do you understand? He coldly answered not wanting to see such a small child die out here cold and alone.

Chi started screaming uncontrollably, "I don't want to go back to that horrible place they treat be bad and they never let me out of my room always saying that I'm too much trouble to handle. When all I want is to go play with the other kids and have fun!

Naruto simply watched the crying child and asked, "Do you know why they treat you like that Chi? What happened to your parents? Did you ever meet them at all? Chi slowly nodded her head negatively, "I don't know why they treat me like that and I never knew my parents and when I asked about them all they told was that they died fighting for the village".

Naruto digested this information and decided, "Alright Chi lets go to my home and dry off. I'll let you stay there for the night and tomorrow I promise to find out what's happening in the orphanage and hopefully fix it does that sound good to you?

Chi stood shocked at what she was hearing and childishly jumped up and latched on to Naruto's back tightly. Naruto was caught so off guard from the sudden warmth and first ever hug that he clumsily fell straight on his face.

Chi saw his dilemma and quickly jumped off of him and was profusely apologizing, "I'm so sorry big brother I didn't mean for you to fall down I was just so excited that I couldn't help myself and hugged you", she laughed while scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. It kind of reminded him of someone he used to know.

Naruto unplanted his face from the ground and lazily waved her off, "It's alright Chi it's not your fault you just surprised me that's all". Chi nodded and grabbed his open hand as he led her through the empty streets heading for his house.

Naruto was for the most part silent the whole way, but suddenly stopped making Chi look up in wonder. "Hey Chi can I ask you a question? Chi happily nodded unaware of the serious tone in his voice. "Are you happy in that orphanage chi? Chi's happy attitude morphed into confusion.

"Even though they treat me badly at the orphanage for the most part I am happy. I have great friends that go through the same in the orphanage so it's not all bad; she smiled as she recalled her friends. Naruto narrowed his eyes when hearing they were treating them the same as Chi and wondered how the orphanage could've become so corrupted.

They continued walking in comfortable silence when Chi suddenly asked a question of her own, "Hey big brother why did you ask Chi such a weird question? Naruto didn't even turn around, "No reason Chi just wanted to know don't worry about it alright". Chi happily nodded, "Hey big brother why are you so quiet?

Naruto just chuckled at her curiosity, "It's just the way I am Chi can't change what you are right". Naruto was bombarded with another question, "Hey big brother do you have any friends? Naruto merely looked towards the sky, "I guess you could say that I don't really have many friends if any at all".

Chi squeezed Naruto's hand tighter and cheerfully smiled, "Then can Chi be your friend big brother? Naruto chuckled at how naïve Chi was being by making friends with a total stranger, but oddly felt warm inside and couldn't help but smile. "Sure Chi if you would allow it then I'll be honored to have you as a friend".

(10 minutes later)

(Location just outside Naruto's Home)

Chi cheerfully skipped in the rain as they neared his apartment complex. They stood just outside the complex when he felt Chi's hand trembling, "Hey Chi are you cold? Chi stood there frightened and whispered, "This place is scary big brother do you really live here?

Naruto looked back towards the complex and admitted it did look rather scary in the darkness, "Don't worry Chi this place is not scary at all, sure it might be big and dark, but that will go away once the sun comes up I promise". Having assured her that it was safe quickly led her up the stairs all the way to the third floor where his room was and quickly entered wanting to get her out of the rain as quickly as possible.

Naruto locked the door behind him and noticed she was trembling in the center of the living room, "Hey Chi go take a hot shower before you go to bed unless you want to sleep all wet and cold do you? Chi frantically swayed her head left to right and dashed towards the bathroom while Naruto went to his room.

While Chi was taking a bath Naruto was busily trying to find something to put on her since he didn't want Chi to wear her wet clothes. He spotted some plain white pajamas that would fit her and slipped them under the bathroom door.

A couple of minutes had passed when he finally heard the bathroom door swing open and was greeted with a fully clothed Chi entering his room. She noticed that there was only one bed available, "Hey big brother where am I supposed to sleep? She questioned. Naruto was lying against the empty wall in the corner of the room as he lazily turned towards her, "You're going to sleep in that bed Chi where else would you sleep?

Chi looked confused, "Then if I'm going to sleep on the bed then where are you going to sleep in big brother? Naruto merely dismissed her concern, "Don't worry about me Chi I'm not tired you go ahead and sleep so don't worry so much okay".

Chi hesitantly nodded her head and tip toad towards the empty bed and jumped in. she snuggled under the warm covers and relaxed while listening to the soothing rain outside. Chi turned towards the silent Naruto, "Hey big brother where are your parents? Naruto didn't even bother lifting his head and coldly answered, "There gone Chi".

Chi frowned at his tone and asked another question, "Hey big brother, are you happy? Naruto bitterly smiled, "I wouldn't say I'm happy Chi sorry". Chi just nodded and closed her eyes and whispered, "Good night big brother and I'll try my hardest to make you happy I promise".

Naruto saw Chi finally go to sleep and began to think, _'Tomorrow I definitely need to go apologize to Maki-chan and resolve that situation and also try to find out what exactly is happening with Chi at the orphanage as well'._

(Location Naruto's Mindscape)

Naruto was once again pulled into his mind, but this time things seemed different than the other times he was here. Naruto was alone in the middle of a huge barren land filled with countless dead bodies of various countries. Hundreds upon hundreds of crows were encircling the countless dead bodies around him. Among the courses around him he recognized some familiar faces, _'What is this'_, he whispered unsure of how this horrible scene was caused. A loud menacing screech boomed throughout the land, _**'This is the future'**_.


	6. Mission

_**A/N: Alright folks here's another chapter and I apologize for the long wait. You can't really write and go to school at the same time at least not me, but enough about my excuse and enjoy!**_

(The next day)

(Location Naruto's Bedroom)

Naruto suddenly jerked awake from that strange nightmare he had just experienced. His mind was racing with thoughts on what could possibly be the cause of that horrible event.

Thousands upon thousands of corpses were just lying there dead seemingly for quite some time from the horrible stench that filled his nostrils. One thing that he couldn't understand was all the familiar faces that he noticed upon the pile. He recognized most of the people from this village, but what really got to him were the faces of his important people

Was this perhaps a sign of things to come in the future and his mind was warning him of the danger that lay ahead and to prepare as much as possible to prevent this tragedy from happening.

The place did not look familiar at all since he had never been out of the village apart from training on the outskirts of the village with Maki once and a while, but that was it. Naruto was deep in thought when he was assaulted with the morning light that peeked over the Hokage Mountains and pierced straight through his large windows illuminating his entire room.

His gaze shifted towards the small child on the bed and was relieved she hadn't awoken from his outburst. In fact she was still snuggled against the large blankets that kept her warm throughout the cold night.

His eyes once again shifted towards the small clock that was sitting beside his bed and read 7:00 am. Clearly still too early to go visit the Hokage's Mansion to go see if he could fix Chi's problem and then go find Maki and apologize.

Feeling that he wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon silently stood up and slowly walked towards the bathroom. He didn't want to wake Chi just yet, but was startled when Chi jerked upright and stared at him with huge eyes. Her gaze was one of horror and fright and was immediately followed by a screeching scream that sounded like someone or something was hurting her when there was nothing remotely close to her.

Not a moment later he disappeared and reappeared right next to her and tried to reassure her that everything was okay. Chi didn't appear to hear his voice as she continued to shake uncontrollably and began to scream for them to leave her alone. Naruto hardened his gaze at the revelation and slowly brought his firm hand over her small head quickly silencing Chi. She slowly stopped shaking and brought her eyes towards the warmth on top her head and immediately realized who it was.

Her frightened visage quickly disappeared and was replaced with a genuine smile, "Hey big brother what are you doing so close to me? And why are you looking at me with an angry face? Did Chi do something wrong? She hanged her head in shame thinking she was going to get scolded like always, but was surprised by his response.

Naruto slowly raised her head and locked his eyes with hers so that she understood he was dead serious, "Of course not Chi I will never and I mean ever get mad at you since you're so cute".

He gently smiled towards her trying to reassure her that everything was okay. Chi continued to stare at his gentle smile and couldn't help, but faintly blush at his compliment. That was the first time that someone had ever told her that she was cute and couldn't help, but cry from this precious moment that would probably never happen again.

She brought her tear streaked face towards his own and struggled to speak, "T-thank y-you b-big b-brother that means a lot to me especially coming from you since your always so calm, but thank you again Naruto". Her face was assaulted by many emotions, but still managed to brightly smile even though she was crying as well. Naruto just nodded and felt even more determined to solve Chi's problem as he gently brought his hands towards her face and wiped her teary eyes.

"No problem Chi anything for you now since you're already up might as well go get showered right? His smile encouraged her to forget about her past and look forward towards the future. Chi smiled and quickly jumped out of the bed and flew towards the bathroom door and get ready for the day to come which promised to be a good one.

Naruto meanwhile decided to go to the kitchen and begin to make breakfast for the both of them. He decided on making a simple breakfast that consisted of eggs, bacon and some toast finishing with a glass of orange juice to help the food down. He quickly finished his own breakfast not wanting to waste any more time.

He gently put Chi's completed breakfast on the table so Chi could enjoy her meal right after a hot shower. Chi quickly came out of the bathroom fully clothed in last night's outfit that had dried overnight. Her outfit consisted of a normal plain white shirt with some black pants. He knew she had gotten them a while ago since they were all faded and falling apart.

Naruto didn't reveal any sort of visible emotion, but on the inside he was furious at the lack of care that the orphanage gave towards these children not even providing her with some more protective clothing for those cold nights.

She was about to question him on his stare, but was pulled towards the kitchen from the smell of the yummy food that was sitting on the table. She quickly dashed towards the kitchen and saw a plate filled with breakfast. She looked towards Naruto to make sure that it was her food and smiled when she received a nod that it was okay to eat.

Having finished eating her delicious breakfast grabbed her used plate and brought it towards the sink and proceeded to wash them. Naruto intently watched Chi humming a gentle tune while she washed the dishes and it raised his curiosity as to why this small child would know how to wash dishes.

"Hey Chi who taught you how to wash the dishes or did you learn on your own? Chi continued to hum and clean but still managed to answer him. "Oh they teach us to wash our own dishes after we eat at the orphanage always saying that it will teach us to be more responsible".

Naruto nodded with her answer and walked over to the bathroom to take his own shower and let Chi finish with what she was doing.

(30 minutes later)

Having finished taking a quick shower motioned Chi who was sitting on the living room couch watching some random TV show to follow him so they could leave. It was already 8:30 am, which most people would be awake and doing their morning routine by now.

Chi hopped off the couch and walked towards the TV and shut it off and followed Naruto out the door hearing it lock behind them. They reached the bottom of the stairs and Chi couldn't help, but laugh when they were in front of the apartment complex. "You were right big brother it isn't so scary once the sun is up".

Naruto just kept walking forward in the empty streets of Konoha as he shifted his gaze towards Chi's form for the first time in bright daylight. He quickly realized that she looked very cute for a 5 year old girl. She had very dark hair that overflowed past her shoulders and were complimented with big brown eyes that screamed adorableness if anybody stared at her for too long.

She was also significantly shorter than him and it made him look like a big brother taking her sister out for a morning stroll. Both continued their stroll along the empty streets as they neared the Hokage's Mansion when he instinctively motioned for Chi to get behind him. He felt several presences quickly nearing them. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the familiar looking Konoha Anbu and wondered what exactly they could want with him.

The Anbu leader of the group came forwards and kneeled before him, "Excuse us for disturbing you Uzumaki-san, but the hokage insisted for you to meet with him at this moment regarding an important matter at hand". Naruto merely nodded that he understood since he was going there in the first place might as well go with them.

The Anbu saw his cooperation and approached them and lightly touched their shoulders and disappeared in a swirl of leaves to the Hokages main office.

(Location Hokages Office)

They quickly reappeared inside the office and the Anbu leader quickly kneeled before their leader and reported in, "Excuse us Hokage-sama we have brought Uzumaki Naruto as you have requested". The powerful Hokage simply nodded and waved for them to leave his presence as their job was completed.

The Anbu having left the Hokage turned his gaze towards Naruto who was looking coldly towards him and if he was any other man or woman he would flinch from such a cold gaze. Of course he didn't since he was used to such a look and simply brushed it off and greeted Naruto so that they could get right down to business.

"Welcome Naruto-kun it feels like I haven't seen you in weeks since you began training with Maki-chan how has that been going for you?

Naruto clearly answered, "I have learned many things from Maki-chan Hokage-sama and have become stronger than I was before I started training. I have also learned quite a few techniques that have become very handy when fighting, but I don't want to bore you with the details so I'll keep it to myself".

The hokage nodded and slowly reached over and grabbed his pipe that was resting on his desk. He took a long puff out of his pipe and exhaled the smoke and closed his tired eyes knowing Naruto was hiding something, but decided not to delve deeper since he didn't expect for him to answer anyways.

Since the person before him was nothing like his old self from a month ago that was always so boisterous and talking all the time. No this boy in front of him was calm, serious and cold which saddened him that the power that the boy had received had changed him so much. He was deeply saddened that he would never be able to see the small young boy that would constantly keep screaming that he was going to become the Hokage one day.

He slowly opened his tired eyes and noticed a small figure standing behind Naruto only sticking her head out through his sides wanting to hear the conversation. The hokage was intrigued by who this person was so motioned for her to come out and present herself.

Chi hesitantly looked towards Naruto for approval which he did give and slowly moved out of the protective spot behind Naruto's back and faced the powerful Hokage and bowed. "U-umm h-hello there Hokage-sama my name is Chi and it is an honor to be meeting you".

The hokage smiled at the young girl presenting herself as he shifted his gaze over to Naruto looking for an explanation to why he had this young girl with him to begin with. Naruto picked up his curiosity and knew what he wanted to ask and quickly answered not wanting to waste any time on the matter.

"I presume you want to find out about her Hokage-sama? The hokage just nodded for him to proceed with his explanation. "Well while I was heading home I heard a faint cry for help and decided to investigate what was causing this noise. It was then that I found a small child huddled under a small abandoned building soaking wet and all alone so I decided to take her in for the night since she had nowhere else to go".

Sarutobi nodded in understanding and reached under his desk to search for the file that belonged to the small girl since he had heard that name before, but couldn't remember where exactly he had heard it. He quickly spotted the stack that contained all the information of the villagers that lived in the village and sighed heavily knowing how long it would take to find Chi's specific file.

Sarutobi looked towards the small young girls' direction and noticed she was clinging onto Naruto's frame like she had known him all her life and trusted him to protect her form anything. After thinking through it decided there was only one thing left to do "Naruto-kun can I ask a favor of you? Naruto carefully nodded not sure what the favor was going to ask him for.

"Can I ask of you to take care of Chi at least until I sort out her situation and don't worry it will only be for a few days". Chi looked like she was about to explode from the happiness that she was experiencing and honestly couldn't help but embrace Naruto's body from the joy she was feeling. She quickly settled down since he still looked as stoic as ever apparently still thinking what he had heard over.

She sighed in relief when she saw a small smile plastered on his face as he looked towards her and knelt down, "Hey Chi do you want to stay with me while the hokage sorts out your situation? I won't force you into staying, but my house will always be open for you whenever you feel like talking or staying over what do you say? He gently smiled, but was confused when he saw her begin to tear up.

"Hey chi what's the matter aren't you happy to be staying with me a little longer? If that's the reason then I understand if you want to stay somewhere else". Chi quickly dismissed that thought from Naruto's mind.

"Don't be silly big brother I was only crying because I thought his would be the last time I would ever get see you again. I'm overjoyed that I get to stay with you for at least a few more days and I plan to make the most out of it you'll see its going to be a blast big brother". She shouted clearly excited by her situation which made Naruto relax at her eagerness.

Naruto shifted his eyes back towards the smiling hokage, "I accept the task that you have giving me Hokage-sama and I thank you for the opportunity, but can I ask a favor from you if you wouldn't mind me asking. The Hokage hesitantly nodded not sure what his favor was going to include.

Naruto signaled for Chi to take a seat at one of the couches inside the Hokage's office for guest not wanting to involve her into this matter. Chi slowly walked towards one of the empty couches and plopped down and watched Naruto move towards the hokage and began to converse with him.

This act slightly irritated her since she couldn't hear a thing of what they were talking about so she quickly gave up and started swinging her legs that dangled over the large couch.

Naruto stared right at the Hokage with a gaze that could break anyone into a sweat over the sheer intensity, but of course the Hokage had so much experience in the dealings like these that it didn't even faze him one bit. "Hokage-sama may I ask you to personally go check over the orphanage and make sure that they are treating the children fairly".

The Hokage hardened his gaze at his tone indicating that he had some kind of suspicion on the orphanage and couldn't really blame him since he was a victim of poor treatment from the orphanage a couple of years ago. He also guessed that this suspicion had something to do with the young girl siting on the couch, but wasn't quite sure.

The hokage accepted his request and shifted his gaze towards the girl playing with her legs, "May I ask Naruto-kun is this suspicion perhaps related to Chi by any chance? Naruto merely nodded towards the man and was impressed by how fast he had figured out the correlation between Chi and his request.

The hokage stood up and walked towards one of the many large windows that inhibited his office and gazed over his village and smiled over how peaceful it was. He was about to dismiss both of them when he heard a loud commotion coming from outside his office and sighed already knowing who it was.

(Meanwhile with Maki)

The secretary and Maki were having a face off right at this moment, "What do you mean I'm not allowed to go inside what's the problem this time? I've always been allowed in". Maki bared her teeth at her frustration since the secretary of the Hokage for some odd reason wasn't allowing her to go into the office on the Hokage's orders.

The beautiful young secretary defiantly put her fists on her hips, "I am sorry Maki-san, but the Hokage specifically informed me not to allow anyone inside without an appointment of some sorts since a meeting is occurring right now and they would kindly appreciate if you would keep your voice down and wait your turn". The secretary eerily smiled towards Maki.

Maki matched her smile with one of her own and decided to rush forward and burst through the door anyways. The secretary of course tried her hardest to stop her, but was unsuccessful since Maki was much stronger than her and was dragged with her in the Hokage's office. She immediately felt Maki freeze in place and begin to tremble in silent anger. She quickly released her and bolted out of there and closed the door behind her.

Maki didn't know how to feel when she came face to face with her student. She knew she had to apologize to him for saying all those insensitive remarks, but didn't know how to say her apology since a couple weeks had passed since that confrontation. She didn't know whether he had chosen to forget about that situation or if he was just waiting for her to apologize to him.

Naruto knew this was his chance so he slowly walked towards her and bowed before Maki who looked like she was having an internal war with herself. Maki was about to apologize to him, but was intercepted by Naruto's own apology. "I am sorry for the way I acted a couple weeks ago Maki-chan I was not myself and took out my frustration on you who didn't know my situation whatsoever so for that I apologize".

Maki stood shocked at his confession and would've never thought he would apologize so nonchalantly. He slowly raised his head and rested his eyes on Maki's beautiful big brown eyes making her shy away in embarrassment. "I-its o-okay Naruto-kun you don't have to apologize to me if anything I should be the one apologizing to you for saying all those mean things without even knowing anything about you".

Naruto smiled towards her making Maki hide her blush and turn away once again. "By the way Naruto-kun why didn't you show up for morning training like you always did? And why are you here talking with the old man? She asked intrigued to find out the reason of his visit.

Naruto merely motioned for Chi who was staring intently towards Maki to come over here and introduce herself. Chi carefully hopped out of the couch and ran towards Naruto's back only poking her head out to talk.

Naruto silently chuckled at her reaction and brought his eyes onto Maki's to explain his situation, "Well the reason I didn't show up for morning practice was because I have been assigned to take care of Chi for a couple of days. At least until her situation is taken care of right Chi? He smiled towards the small girl who cheerfully nodded back.

Maki was very confused with this situation and decided to voice out her concern, "Umm not to be rude or anything, but why would you be assigned to take care of a kid Naruto-kun aren't you a kid yourself? Her question was met with a fierce glare from Naruto making her squirm under his instance gaze and realized that he didn't want Chi to find out, at least not yet.

Chi looked a bit confused over what the big girl said as she looked towards Naruto, "big brother what does she mean that you're a kid yourself? Naruto's gaze didn't waver from Maki's, but still answered nonetheless.

"Don't worry about it Chi that was just her idea of a joke that's all isn't she funny? Chi started to laugh, "Well she must be very funny since you don't act like a kid at all big brother. You're the exact opposite always looking cool and knowing exactly what to say.

Naruto tuned out Chi's voice when he sensed someone was here so quickly turned around to witness an Anbu whispering into the Hokage's ear looking very aggravated by the information the Anbu was relaying to him.

The Anbu finally finished relaying his message and was quickly dismissed by the Hokage. He began to walk back towards his desk and appeared to be getting some kind of paperwork.

His gaze lingered on Naruto's when he motioned for him to step forward and sighed. "I know this is sudden Naruto-kun, but the council feels that you are ready for a mission and wants you to gain some experience in hazardous situations".

Naruto was surprised with the sudden information he was given and didn't know what to feel by this revelation. While he was uncertain of what to feel another person in the room was shocked beyond belief that they would give him a mission so early for some supposed training that could kill him.

Maki quickly stomped her way forward and voiced her concern to the Hokage, "What the hell are you doing sending a kid who has minimal training with me and sending him out there where he could be potentially killed. All for the sake of the stupid council ordering you to give out this mission even though you know how dangerous it might be. Come on old man stand up for yourself for once!

Maki shouted trying to persuade the hokage to change his mind on the mission, but was sorely disappointed as his gaze had never left Naruto's. Naruto coldly gazed at the Hokage not wanting to show any weakness in front of him. His eyes shifted towards Maki who was silently pleading for him not to be stupid and take this mission since she believed he would only be killed.

"Don't worry about me Maki-chan you know better than anyone how strong I am and by saying I'm not ready for this shows your lack of faith in my ability to survive". Maki didn't know how to respond so simply stayed quiet and put all her faith that he would be able to handle himself just fine.

Naruto brought his gaze towards the Hokage and clearly voiced out, "I understand Lord Hokage I will be honored to accept this mission whatever it might need me to do". The Hokage bitterly smiled and got out mission details to explain to him exactly what this mission required of him.

"Alright Naruto-kun this mission requires you to head towards the Land of Sound or more specifically the village of Otogakure. There you will meet up with a contact that will tell you more information regarding your mission there do you understand?

He saw Naruto nod in understanding and proceeded, "alright Naruto-kun you have a couple of days to prepare so do whatever you have to do to get all the necessary stuff you need to survive since this mission will be approximately one months' time".

Maki fought hard from yelling at her student for accepting this mission even though he had no experience of the outside world, but couldn't deny the fact that he was strong and would most likely be fine. Also the fact that she couldn't stop him was another hindrance in her plan.

The Hokage went back to the large windows and once again let his eyes drift into the distance and dismissed Naruto and the rest out of his office so that they could prepare for the upcoming mission. The Hokage flared his chakra and immediately after a lone Anbu appeared kneeling before the Hokage. The masked Anbu raised his head and spoke in a monotone voice, "Are you sure that it is wise to send a child that still doesn't understand his own powers to an unknown village where he could potentially be killed Hokage-dono".

The Hokage tiredly sighed, "Of course I don't condemn sending an inexperienced ninja into enemy territory, but my hands are tied with the damn council deciding its best to test him while he's still young". The masked Anbu noticed his leader hardened his gaze, "I feel that Naruto-kun is hiding his true potential from us and it worries me that he might be more powerful than he lets on".

The masked Anbu merely nodded, "What makes you think that Uzumaki-san is hiding his powers from us Hokage-sama? The Hokage shrugged his shoulders, "I can't really explain it, but when I look at him his body language tells me that he is not afraid of anything not even me. Also I feel something dark hidden within him just wanting to come out, but he is struggling to keep it in check whatever that is".

The Hokage walked over to the kneeling Anbu and motioned for him to stand, "I'm sending you to watch him closely and protect him if anything comes his way and he can't handle it do you agree Itachi-san? Piercing red eyes glowed under the eye holes of the mask, "Yes Hokage-dono I understand".


	7. Departure

_**A/N: Welcome to another chapter of the white rose and if you're wondering why I brought this so quick is because I probably won't have time during the week for school so wanted to leave you with a new chapter until the next one so enjoy!**_

(3 days later)

(Location Naruto's Bedroom)

Naruto could be seen resting his eyes in preparation for the mission that he was about to leave for in the coming moments. This would mark the very first time that he would ever go on a mission much less going outside the village. Oddly he felt at peace with himself over his decision of taking the mission even though the odds were against him. His body felt no fear over death and his mind was strangely clear throughout this whole experience.

The last couple days he had spent together with Maki and Chi doing whatever they could to prepare him for the mission ahead and also enjoy their time together and try to relax for his mission. He had to admit that he very much enjoyed his time with the girls when doing anything together and it felt like they were like a family. He even managed to smile a couple of times much to the joy of Chi shouting that she kept her promise of making him smile.

His eyes wandered towards the small girl sleeping in his bed once again since he was assigned of taking care of her. He didn't mind having her around him all the time he actually enjoyed the company of someone other than himself all the time. Also the bed situation didn't really bother him all that much since he liked the comfort and protection that the dark corners of his room brought him. His sleeping schedule was also thrown out the window since he couldn't really get a good night's sleep anymore.

So instead he spent his silent night's just gazing towards the empty sky and occasionally resting his eyes for the sake of being enveloped by the darkness that it provided which he thought was peaceful being surrounded by nothing. Ever since he acquired his powers he was more comfortable being alone than having to make contact with people.

The only people that he was comfortable talking with normally were Maki and Chi the only people that he could honestly call his friends. They would constantly tell him what was right and wrong and what was good to eat and what was bad for you. It was like they were his parents constantly bickering with each other over what was better for him.

Another thing he noticed was the relationship between Maki and Chi. Ever since I told Maki how I met Chi she was constantly trying to act like a big sister towards her and sometimes even like a mother if you asked Chi. They were like peanut butter and jelly if you don't have one then the other is lonely. Chi would constantly nag him whether they would be going to see Maki today and when the times that they couldn't see her she would show her opinion on what she thought. This often resulted in her sulking under the covers of his room or her watching TV all day. Even going as far as to ignore him the whole time. While he either shrugged it off or simply gave in to her demands and went to go visit Maki at her home.

He had to admit that going to her house ever since that incident with them that night was really a pain in the ass. Not so much for Maki since she had forgiven him, but for him it felt like a place where he gave into his emotions and hurt someone because of it. Even though it wasn't physically he still hurt someone from his lack of control on his emotions. Which by now was practically a master at handling them whenever he needed to.

He brought his eyes over to the small clock that rested neatly besides his bed on top of a small table that he had gotten on sale from a nice old lady. The clock read 5:10 am almost two hours from the appointed time which he was supposed to leave. The Hokage informed him that he would be waiting for him at that time in front of the village gates and send him on his way.

His gaze shifted towards his outstretched arms and lingered in thought, _'I might need to use my powers on this mission and who knows what dangers might happen during the trip. I guess this would be the perfect opportunity to test my powers and find out if I could honestly hold my own against whoever stands in my way'._

He breathed in and concentrated his chakra towards his arms and energized his body. His entire arm began to crackle and spark from the electric output as his body began to flicker in a blue hue as well. His gaze never left his electrified body as it continuously flickered dangerously providing their master with an impenetrable shield of pure electricity.

His hair began to stand up from the electricity so decided it was enough and calmed down. He slowly stood up and silently walked towards the bathroom to take a quick shower before Chi woke up or worse Maki barging in the apartment without a second thought on privacy. She would do it also stating that she would wake him up or he would be late if she didn't take it upon herself.

Of course Naruto knew that was just an excuse for her to come see him leave, but he didn't mind at all actually it was pleasant for someone to be worried about you even a little. He smiled at the thought and continued towards the bathroom. He quickly neared the bathroom and gently opened the door so that it wouldn't wake up Chi who was comfortably sleeping on his bed.

He didn't want Chi to complain to him that he had awakened her two hours before they were even needed in front of the village gates. He quietly closed the door behind him and carefully locked it or risk being walked in by a sleepy Chi wanting to use the bathroom. Which he didn't want that to happen at all cost or it would potentially traumatize her by the sight of him butt naked.

He chuckled at the thought as he carefully shifted his eyes towards the small mirror in front of him. His eyes lingered on his reflection and couldn't help but take in on how much he had really changed this past month. His whole demeanor had changed and he wasn't sure if it was for the better.

His whole life had changed overnight and all the malicious glares from the villagers had disappeared and were replaced with simple ignorance. It was certainly an improvement from a month ago that was for sure. He didn't need to worry of being attack while walking home at night no those days were long gone by now.

He carefully examined his eyes and was appalled by what the reflection in the mirror told him. The once bright blue eyes that oozed happiness and excitement were now replaced with eyes that screamed coldness and rejection. His bright blue eyes that were filled with life and hope were now devoid of any hope and simply stared back at you lifeless. He knew that it had to do with these powers of his, but he wasn't quite positive as to why.

His personality had also made a dramatic change as he had become as Chi constantly reminded him _cool_ and _calm _when a little more than a month ago he used to be boisterous and full of energy. He sometimes wondered why the people that he saw most often like Maki, Chi, and the Hokage didn't even try and point out that he needed to smile more or loosen up a bit. The only conclusion he came up with was that they were most likely trying not to point it out and somehow spare his feelings on the matter.

He finished his introspection of himself and quickly undressed and hopped into the shower not caring whether the water was freezing cold. He actually preferred cold things more than hot things.

(20 minutes later)

Naruto slowly walked out of the shower in particularly no hurry whatsoever since he had plenty of time left over anyways. He reached and grabbed a dry towel sitting on top of the sink and quickly dried off and wrapped himself since he had forgotten to bring in his clothes inside the bathroom. Because of his forgetfulness he now had to go into his room and risk waking up Chi from the noise when opening his squeaky dresser. He had also gotten a new accessory for his outfit from the Hokage saying it was necessary for the mission. It was a simply black cape that covered his entire body that also worked as a raincoat if it ever rained. The next item the Hokage provided for him was a simple black mask to cover the bottom part of his face, but he had yet to decide on whether he would actually wear it for his mission.

He slowly entered his room and silently walked over to his dresser that kept his clothes and mask. He mentally sighed in relief at making it without waking her up, but now came the hard part opening the damn thing. He firmly griped the handle and decided to pull it as fast as he could so it wouldn't make that annoying sound, but failed miserably as the speed only magnified the sound causing her to wake up as a result.

Meanwhile Chi slowly pulled the covers from her head and lazily sat up and groggily brought her small hands and rubbed her eyes. Her eyes carefully focused on the sight of Naruto's half naked that was only covered by a towel around his waist. She cutely yelped and quickly made her way under the safety of the covers and screamed out. "B-big b-brother why are you naked in our room like that did the monsters eat your clothes or something?

Naruto sweat dropped and sighed, "Don't mind me Chi I just came out of the shower and had forgotten to grab my clothes. So I'm here to grab them and put them on that's all so go back to sleep if you want we still got plenty of time before Maki shows up and wakes us up". Chi slowly nodded not really sure what to think of this because this was the first time she had seen a boy without a shirt much less it being her big brothers body which strangely brought a smile to her face.

Naruto merely watched Chi still staring at his bare chest, but he didn't mind and simply turned around and reached for his clothing. Once he had gotten his clothes slowly walked back towards the bathroom and change before Chi's mind exploded.

Chi watched Naruto walk towards the bathroom door and couldn't help but throw a fist at the air in victory on seeing Naruto without a shirt. Maki had made a bet on who would see him without a shirt first and Maki thought she had it in the bag when they went to relax in the public baths. Sadly that didn't go as planned for the both of them since Naruto decided that he didn't want to take a bath and simply wanted to go home. Leaving them by themselves sulking the whole time on how they failed on their mission.

Chi didn't let that keep her down since she pretty much knew that she would win the bet since she lived with Naruto. It was only a matter of time and patience before she would catch Naruto coming out of the bathroom to get something out of the room. She certainly didn't expect she would win without even being aware of it happening, but she wouldn't complain on how it happened since the bet simply implied that whoever saw him first without his shirt won. The bet was a free diner and she was eagerly looking forward to it since she hadn't really gone to a restaurant before. Well they did go to Ichiraku Ramen a couple of times with Naruto and Maki, but that didn't really count as a restaurant to her.

Her smile disappeared when her gaze lingered on the closed door where Naruto was getting ready for his mission. This would probably be the last time she would see him for a while at least and she really wanted him to go to dinner with her and Maki and celebrate, but sadly it was too late.

Chi quickly plastered her smile again when she noticed Naruto begin to come out and didn't want to make him feel bad for her. Since he had a very important mission to go on she wanted him to go on a happy note and to let him know that she supported his decision.

Naruto slowly exited the bathroom fully suited with his original clothing that Maki had bought him a couple of weeks ago. His clothing now consisted of a large pitch black cape covering his entire body from anything. He decided against wearing the mask that the Hokage had provided him to remain stealthy because it was kind of hard to breathe through since it covered his mouth and nose.

He still decided to put the simple mask in his pocket if the Hokage insisted him to wear the mask he could just take it out and quickly put it on. Naruto closed the door behind him and smiled at the sight of Chi pulling out the new clothing that Maki had bought her a couple of days ago. When he told her about her situation at the orphanage she was beyond pissed at how the place that was supposed to give hope to homeless children was being managed.

So she personally made it her mission to take care of her in place of him which relieved him to no end since he wasn't going to be around for her.

As Chi finished grabbing her clothing immediately felt Naruto signaling her that the bathroom was open for her so she could take a shower and get ready to go. She tightly hugged her new clothes and brought them with her to the bathroom since she didn't feel comfortable coming out in just a towel when Naruto was around.

He chuckled as Chi zoomed past him and quickly shut the door behind her. Naruto decided it was time for their morning breakfast so went to the kitchen and got the necessary ingredients. It wasn't that much different from the very first breakfast he had made for the both of them which consisted of eggs, bacon, and some toast finishing with a glass of orange juice. Of course he had been reminded by Chi that she was getting tired of the same breakfast every day and asked if he could change it. Naruto's simple answer was _'no'_ and told her if she wanted a different breakfast to make her own which immediately shut her up of course.

He finished his own meal and laid out her meal gently on the table ready whenever she came out of the bathroom. He picked up his dirty dishes and laid them on the kitchen sink. He saw her fully clothed in her new outfit that she had been dying to wear and couldn't help but smile at how different she looked. She looked like a Kunochi from the hidden leaf village.

Her nose twitched in anticipation at the delicious smell of the breakfast that was sitting on the table patiently waiting for her to enjoy it. She immediately bolted towards the table and sat down and like always looked towards him to make sure this was her plate of food. Once she saw him nod in conformation she didn't waste any time and dug in.

Letting out a happy sigh of content once she was done with her meal quickly hopped up and gathered her plate and walked towards the kitchen sink and washed Naruto's and her dirty dishes. Naruto had tried to stop her from cleaning his own plate, but she insisted on doing it and simply stated _'it's the least I could do for letting me stay in your home big brother',_ which of course shut him up.

While she was finishing cleaning off the dirty dished he gazed towards the small clock that hanged above the living room couch, 6:30 am. It was almost time for them to head out to the village gates where the Hokage would be seeing him off. His ears perked up at the sudden banging on his front door and immediately knew who the person behind it was. He couldn't help but crack a smile at the thought of someone actually waking up this early and coming to make sure he was ready.

Chi also heard the noise and quickly finished the last dishes she had and made her way besides Naruto who was walking towards the door to greet Maki. Naruto opened the door and was pleasantly greeted with the cheerful smile of Maki as she brought her arms from behind her back and surprised him with a wrapped lunch box containing a dozen neatly sliced sandwiches.

Naruto didn't have the heart to tell her that he didn't really need this big of a lunch so he just smiled and accepted it. "Thanks for making me lunch Maki-chan I really appreciate it". He reached for his small backpack and carefully stuffed it inside.

Maki just nodded and turned her head away blushing a little at the thought of Naruto thanking her for making him lunch. She was however quickly brought out of her train of thought when Chi suddenly jumped between them and had a cheeky smile plastered on her face like she had won something.

Chi closed in on her and whispered in her ear so that Naruto wouldn't hear their conversation, "Hey Maki-chan this morning I saw big brother without his shirt on when he was coming out of the shower and you know what that means don't you? She started to childishly poke her in the stomach until she finally gave in and muttered through clenched teeth.

"Fine you win this round little brat, but don't get too excited since I get to decide where to take you to dinner", Maki stated triumphantly.

Maki's proud declaration fell on deaf ears when she saw her still smiling, "I don't mind Maki-chan since this will be the first time that I get to go to a restaurant with someone".

Maki frowned at the thought of Chi being all alone like she was and the same went with Naruto, "alright I get it I'll take you somewhere fancy and show you what a good time it is to eat with friends rather than by yourself right Naruto-kun? She asked hoping for some back up from him. She was however disappointed when they both spotted him already walking towards the village gates.

Both of them witnessed Naruto's body begin to fluctuate with faint electricity while he was walking towards the gates and was worried that Naruto was to tense for such a dangerous mission and needed to relax. She was forced to look down when she felt a tug on her sweater that she decided to wear since it was a bit chilly outside.

"Hey Maki-chan why does blue stuff appear around big brothers' body? I've seen it couple of times when he was mad or was thinking about something, but I didn't want to bother him so I didn't ask". Chi asked clearly interested on what was going on with her big brothers body.

Maki smiled at her curiosity at wanting to find about Naruto's situation, but quickly became serious as she gazed towards Naruto's retreating form. "Well Chi that blue stuff as you described it is Naruto-kun powers form what little I have seen of it and its electricity". Chi tilted her head in confusion at what she was being told.

"So are you saying that big brother is strong? Maki looked even more concerned about him since she honestly didn't know much about his power even though they had spared many times, but oddly he never used his electric powers. "I hope so Chi, but I honestly don't know since all the times we have fought he has Holden back on me and not really used his powers at all. For all we know he could either be really strong or really weak".

Chi nodded and was worried for her big brothers well-being, but she believed that her big brother was the strongest person in the village always being cool and calm no matter what and occasionally smiling when he was around them.

They both ran to catch up to him who was way down the street and seemed to calm down since his electricity wasn't around his body anymore and his body language looked more relaxed. They both grabbed his hands before Maki suddenly yelped in pain, "Ow Naruto-kun could you please control your electricity so you won't shock me".

Naruto just smiled at his mistake, "Sorry about that Maki-chan I didn't even realize I was still covered by it my mistake it won't happen again". Maki nodded and once again grabbed his hand and was surprised by warmth that they provided and it felt good she was in this position.

After a short walk they finally approached the village gates and were greeted with the Hokage himself with of course two Anbu beside him simply smoking on his trusty old pipe calmly waiting for him to arrive. Maki and Chi let go of his hands and stood proudly beside him as the Hokage came up to him. "Welcome Naruto-kun I'm glad to see you I was beginning to worry you wouldn't be able to make it on time, but I'm happy to see you arrived safely". The old Hokage cheerfully laughed as he patted him on the shoulder.

Naruto simply nodded and remained as stoic as ever since this would mark the beginning of his mission which needed his undivided attention. "Yes it's nice to see you too Lord Hokage, but I'm afraid it isn't time for pleasantries as I must depart for my mission immediately".

The Hokage nodded and steeled his features knowing Naruto wasn't in the mood to mess around not that he expected him to be so he got right to the point and handed him a paper sized scroll. "This here scroll contains a map that should aid you to your destination Naruto-kun please take good care of it since without it you would get lost in the unknown land".

Naruto carefully put the scroll into his backpack and looked back towards the Hokage if he had anything else to add. "That is all Naruto-kun you are free to start your mission, but please head my advice and never engage in any unnecessary fights we want you back alive understand". Sarutobi clearly warned him not to go pick useless fight that could get him injured or worse killed.

Naruto took his advice to heart and slowly breathed in preparation for what was to come, but not before being pulled from behind and forcefully turned around. Maki hesitantly reached over and kissed him right on his right cheek, "You make sure you come back safely Naruto-kun I need you", she whispered the last part while blushing up a storm at her boldness.

Chi did the same thing, but she kissed him on his left cheek and was also blushing up a storm. Naruto smiled at the affection he was getting from his only two friends and gazed towards Maki, "Don't worry so much Maki-chan and take of Chi for me will you? I left a key with her if you need to get in my place and watch your back Maki-chan". His tone was deadly serious not wanting for Maki to simply brush off what Naruto had told her a couple of days ago about the visit he had gotten from the Anbu.

Maki steeled her features and stared right back at him, "I will Naruto-kun don't worry about me and this little brat we are strong right Chi! She beamed a smile towards Chi who was proudly posing like she had won a competition. Naruto smiled at the bond that they had made and couldn't help, but feel torn that he wasn't going to be there with them for quite some time.

Naruto began to walk away saying his final farewells as both Chi and Maki fought from crying for Naruto's sake as they watched his retreating form until they couldn't see him anymore. Naruto took out his scroll that contained information on the land around him and saw that his destination was quite a distance away and estimated that it would take him at least a week if not more to reach Otogakure. He finished studying the map and resealed it and put it back safely in his backpack.

(12 hours later)

(Location Generic trail through the forest)

It had been half a day since he had departed from the village and noticed that the sun had begun to set. His ears instinctively picked up a speeding kunai ripping through the air heading straight for a vital organ. He simply let the object bounce of his electric shield as he desperately searched for the intruder. By the speed of the thrown kunai he knew that whatever he was dealing with wasn't a mere shinobi.

A lone figure appeared behind him as the darkness covered most of his features and the only thing he could see was those familiar red eyes that pierced through the darkness. The intruder spoke in a chilling monotone voice, "I see my kunai was blocked by your powers pretty impressive **Naruto-kun**".


	8. Itachi vs Naruto

_**A/N: Hello my fellow readers I know it has been a while since my last chapter since school is taking most of my time. But nevertheless I bring you a new chapter of the white rose and this chapter signifies the beginning of the very first arc so ENJOY!**_

The cold air breezed through the silent night of the forest that surrounded the two shinobi that stood motionless. Neither made a move and patiently awaited one another two make a move and start whatever they planned on doing. The only light through the pitch black forest was the gorgeous moon that illuminated the forest below it.

Meanwhile Naruto's cold Blue eyes pierced through the darkness of the night as he stood motionless. His mind was thinking a million possibilities of a possible way to subdue his enemy before he was killed. He carefully reached for his small backpack attached to his back and slowly began to remove it. In preparation for what he believed would be a fight to the death with the unknown assailant that had mysteriously appeared.

The sound of the backpack hitting the cold hard ground echoed through the empty forest. He slowly turned around and faced his opponent who was masked by the cover of the night and the only visible features were his cold red looking eyes.

He had seen them countless of times before on his friend Maki and immediately knew that person contained the Sharingan. The only difference between Maki's Sharingan and his opponents were that his were fully mature containing three tomoe around each of his eyes.

He knew that this person was a serious threat to his life and to anybody who wasn't careful around the wielder around the powerful Doujutsu. This person in front of him must've worked hard to acquire his sharingan by the way Maki had constantly reminded him that she needed to work absolutely hard if she ever wanted to achieve the last stage of the Sharingan.

Also from his spars with Maki he knew that her sharingan could track his movements accurately and could avoid almost all attack, but this person had the next level. Who knows what he is capable of with his Sharingan?

Naruto shifted his hardened eyes and silently gazed towards the unknown assailant who was mysteriously just staring at him motionlessly. Naruto expected an attack immediately, but he was disappointed when the attack never came. His opponent simply stood watching him carefully unnerving him slightly as to who he was.

He was also berating himself from not being able to sense even a tiny bit of him at all even though he had trained his tracking skills as far as he could push them on his own. Since he was sure he was better at tracking than Maki even though she had the eyes for it which greatly confused him, but didn't let it bother him too much and simply forgot about it weeks ago.

He guessed that this person might have been following him since the start of his mission which greatly worried him and enforced the idea that the person that stood unflinching before him was no ordinary shinobi.

Even through all the unknowns that were blatantly present he couldn't help but crack a smirk. Surprisingly he didn't feel any amount of fear and through all the mysterious he still had a clear headed mind. This train of thought would be vital as to not make any mistakes that would cost him his life if he wasn't careful around him.

Meanwhile opposite of Naruto the mysterious shadow simply kept staring with a stone cold face and slightly narrowed his eyes at how calm his opponent was. Even though he didn't know his powers or what he could do the young child stood unmoving and was carefully studying him for any movement he made. It surprised him a tad since he had known Naruto through most of his child hood and was even assigned a couple of times to watch over him.

He was the only witness of the abuse the he had endured by the misinformed villagers and it made him sick that they would blame an innocent child for the deaths of their loved ones.

He understood why the villagers resorted to violence and blamed the poor child since he was of course the container of the vile beast known to the world as the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Of course the Kyuubi had destroyed and killed a large part of the Hidden Leaf Village almost a decade ago, but that was still no excuse to blame him for the Kyuubi's destruction.

Every time he would witness the villagers mercilessly beat the small child known as Naruto he would be inclined to at least get him out of harm's way and perhaps train him a bit in self-defense.

That thought was thrown out the window by the Council who had declared that there must be absolutely no contact with the container whatsoever. Even though the situation might've overruled the rule such as him being potentially killed it was still looked down upon and would be stripped of your Shinobi Status no matter how powerful you were.

He didn't understand why the council would absolutely refuse to help the poor child and when he asked for a reason his only answer was silence. Even after the villagers would get tired of beating him and would leave to their respective homes the small child would just gaze towards the sky and would just shout that he needed to get stronger and beat up anyone who got in his way.

Even though the whole while he was in extreme pain from the deep gashes, large bruises and numerous fractures around his body. He still had the will to shout to the heavens and pray that they answered his wish.

The mysterious figures face hardened once again when he realized that this was not the same little boy crying for power when he had been watching from the shadows. No this Naruto was calm and collective ever since the Hokage had told him of the incident that had occurred about a month ago.

At first he was shocked that a small child could've survived a lightning strike that should've instantly killed him in a heartbeat. Instead of killing him it somehow changed him entirely, but he wasn't sure if it was for better or worse.

The small child that walked alone through the empty streets was now taller, stronger, wiser, and was in every way superior from what he was before. His power had apparently come at a price from the dramatic change in personality. The new Naruto would bring chills in any normal person who would fall into those cold blue eyes of his.

The only reason he had come out from the shadows even though the Hokage had specifically told him not to was because he wanted to see for himself what the Hokage had told him was true. He got his answer just from his visage on his face that told him that this once small child was no longer afraid.

The mysterious figure known as Itachi Uchiha decided to step out of the shadows and introduce himself before Naruto would misinterpret his intention and attack him. Thinking he was an opponent which he didn't want that at all since he didn't want to hurt him.

Naruto's body tensed when his eyes noticed the unknown assailant begin to step out of the shadows. His body in turn began to silently produce large amount of electricity inside of him as the air around them began to spark dangerously. The whole sky began to darken and unpredictably roar with lightning and thunder ready to protect their master at any cost and aid him in battle. He narrowed his eyes when he took in his opponents' outfit which was the standard Konoha Anbu outfit.

This confused him and brought the question as to why the Konoha Anbu would be here and why would they attack him in the first place. Naruto deciding that it was time to fight leaned forward and disappeared in a feat of speed and reappeared in front of him and shot out a fully charged punch straight towards his masked face. He was shocked when his opponents merely swerved out of the way as his charged fist collided with a large tree snapping it in half at the power of the blow.

Naruto quickly brought his fist from the tree and was frustrated by how easily his opponent had moved out of harm's way, but was nonetheless pleased by the amount of power it had. His eyes quickly refocused on the figure that stood unmoving several feet away from him and had to suppress his frustration on the stoic face of his. Even though he had put great power into his fist it was still not enough.

Meanwhile Itachi was a bit surprised at Naruto's head on attack and with the amount of power and quickness he had delivered was truly a spectacle to witness first hand. He knew if it wasn't for his training and his eyes that he would've been hit no questions asked with the speed of his attack.

Itachi stood as stoic as ever as he witnessed the electricity that was slowly enveloping Naruto's body and wondered if this was the power that the Hokage had mentioned had been gifted to Naruto. He believed it was called Byakurai (White Lightning) from what information the Hokage had told him. He was brought out of his thoughts when he saw Naruto disappear once again and simply back-flipped away from Naruto's Electrifying blow.

Naruto clenched his teeth at missing once again, but knew he couldn't let the pressure slow wane and let his opponent strike. It also troubled him that his opponent was merely dodging his attacks like they were child's play and couldn't help but feel inferior. He quickly launched another attack at his opponent and as he was about to connect with his body immediately fell unmoving to the ground. The last thing he saw were his opponents' eyes spinning wildly and gazing directly at him.

Itachi calmly began to walk towards an unmoving Naruto and began to examine his body and find out what exactly was going inside of him. He wanted to find out how his body was able to handle such dangerous levels of electricity and at the same time protect him from being electrocuted. His Sharingan carefully examined inside his body and was slightly disturbed by what he had discovered.

Naruto's body did contain chakra like everybody else, but his chakra was intertwined with pure electricity that was coursing throughout his entire system. That in itself was odd, but what really defined his disturbance was the fact that the majority of his electricity was coming directly from his heart. That was physically impossible since the heart would've stopped a long time ago from the electricity, but here he was functioning normally.

This discovery threw him off a little as to how Naruto was able to function with all that electricity running through his body. This also marked the first time a shinobi or a human was so good with his nature type that he literally was able to live in harmony with his nature. Not even the most gifted shinobi of Kumogakure would be able to live through a direct shock to the heart.

Now he knew how great of a kekkei genkai (Bloodline Limit) Naruto possessed and it was truly remarkable being able to see it first-hand. Who knows what Naruto could be able to accomplish with having a body that was designed to produce electricity and be able to withstand it as well. Itachi felt it was the time to truly introduce himself before Naruto freed himself from the paralyzing genjutsu he put him on.

Naruto was fiercely struggling against the invisible force that was preventing him from moving and knew that he was trapped in a genjutsu from sparring with Maki. Even though he wanted to break free it felt like his body had given up on that thought as the enemy steadily approached him with a calm face.

Itachi calmly walked towards Naruto's unmoving body and knew that his genjutsu was about to wear off. He didn't want to fight Naruto anymore without knowing more about him. He finally arrived and gazed into Naruto's cold eyes that promised death towards him if he was able to move. Itachi was about to explain when suddenly he was forcefully choked from the throat and was quickly being crushed to death by Naruto's unforgiving strength.

Naruto squeezed his opponents' throat even harder as he gazed into Itachi's equally cold eyes and was irritated at how calm he looked even though he held his life in his hands. Naruto felt betrayed when he saw that he was a Konoha Anbu and gripped even harder and slowly began to crush his throat under the intense pressure. He forcefully slammed him towards the hard ground leaving a decent sized crater. The surrounding area around the crater began to spark with electricity from the attacks aftermath.

He back-flipped away from the crater and was surprised to see his opponents body simply burst into a group of crows that began to encircle the large crater. Naruto clenched his fists in frustration and actively began to search for the Anbu. He knew that he was around here somewhere since his presence was still lingering in the darkness of the forest.

Naruto pulled even more electricity from inside his body and the result was an even fiercer surge of power around him. His whole body began to morph into a lightning rod as the heavens began to roar in desperation for his next attack. His cape had all but vanished in the battle as he closed his eyes and began to concentrate for whatever attack he was planning. He slowly opened his eyes that were gleaming with electricity and gazed towards the surrounding forest deciding that if he couldn't find his enemy he would just destroy everything around him and hope he was caught in the blast.

He slowly raised his arms towards the sky and was quickly struck by a huge lightning bolt that came straight from the heavens. He began to gather as much energy as he could and nodded once he felt he had gathered enough energy to destroy this place. He slowly lowered his arms down signaling for the lightning to release and destroy everything.

Meanwhile Itachi who was watching from afar gasped at the enormous amount of power Naruto was pouring into his jutsu and was about to redirect the power straight into the earth possibly killing anyone that was near them and perhaps himself included.

He disappeared from the shadows and quickly reappeared in from of a surprised Naruto and delivered a powerful kick straight into his torso sending him flying backwards through several trees and successfully disrupted his attack that Naruto was preparing for him. He immediately knew that by making contact with him he was going to get shocked somehow and that is exactly what happened. His entire right leg was numb from the electricity that was coursing through him.

He disregarded the feeling on his right leg and dashed forwards seeing the opportunity to end the match here and now and not hurt Naruto anymore than what was needed.

Naruto desperately concentrated his electricity around his entire body as it began to morph into a thick version of his offensive one he was using before. He still needed to learn to somehow merge the offensive one with the defensive one but for now this would be enough he hoped.

Itachi reappeared behind his back and quickly struck his neck hoping to knock him out and end the match, but was disappointed when his electric shield withstood the attack and deflected his blow throwing him back and numbing his right arm in the process.

Naruto smiled since his defense had worked even though this was the first time testing in a real battle. He noticed that Itachi was blown back and was holding his right arm still calmly staring at him with those red Sharingan eyes of his. He knew that this would be his only opportunity to finish this fight once and for all.

Naruto slowly began to raise his body but couldn't help but cringe at the pain all over his body. His body was beginning to fail him from the constant strain of using his electric power too much and was starting to quickly loose feeling in his limbs. He slowly walked towards the seemingly unafraid opponent who was just calmly gazing towards him with those cold Sharingan eyes of his.

Naruto's electric shield was quickly flickering on and off as his energy was beginning to fade, but he refused to stop and continued to walk forwards and get the job done. Something was bugging him as to why his opponent was merely waiting for him to approach him when he could clearly finish him off if he decided to.

Naruto was about to reach his prey when he suddenly fell on his knees and began to violently cough out blood from the overuse of his powers. He pounded his fists into the ground from the anger of not being able to do anything even through his training. His opponent was still staring at him like he knew that he would lose all along and it made him realize that he had lost and had failed on his promise of returning back safely to Chi and Maki.

Naruto began to pound the ground even harder in frustration when realizing that he would never see Chi and Maki again. They were expecting him to return to be able to laugh together and play together once more, but that idea was quickly fading from reality. All these promises he had made to his parents and friends where all empty words and all along he was lying to them if he died right now.

Naruto's electricity began to envelope his body once again as he willed his failing body to stand up against its will. The lightning around his body roared and sparked even stronger than before as the sky above him clapped with thunder and began to pour rain fiercely trying to help their Master in battle.

Itachi meanwhile saw Naruto fall and rise once again as the strain on his body was evident from the overuse of his powers. His body was rejecting the power by coughing blood signaling the user that it would eventually kill him if he used anymore. Of course Naruto was too out of it to realize the danger and had only one thing in his mind and that was to kill him.

Naruto stared coldly towards his opponents and spoke through clenched teeth, "I will not die! I will not give up! I will persevere and survive! He roared and bolted at eye blinding speeds as he quickly neared Itachi and swung his fist towards Itachi's head, but was firmly grasped by Itachi. It had enough power to send Itachi flying a few feet away.

Naruto once again raised his arms towards the sky and quickly gathered even more energy than before and brought them forward and roared. _**"Ten no Sabaki"**_ (Heavens Judgment), which resulted in a huge lightning bolt striking the earth and obliterating a huge amount of the land and leaving the earth in a huge crater from the sheer power of the attack. Naruto was struggling to stand and was quickly losing consciousness from sheer amount of power he had just unleashed.

He once again began to cough out blood and for the first time ever felt his body was empty and was struggling to even keep his eyes open. He tensed when he felt a presence behind him and froze when he heard his opponents' unemotional voice. "You lose Naruto-kun". Itachi quickly struck his neck knocking him unconscious and finally ending the battle in his favor.

Naruto immediately fell towards the earth and lost consciousness as his body was finally able to rest and recover from the battle beforehand.

Itachi was calmly looking at the unconscious figure of Naruto and was amazed at how much power that last attack of his had. His sharingan wasn't able to copy his attack and even if he did he would most likely fail in recreating the jutsu. If it wasn't for his Sharingan he most likely wouldn't have found a flaw in the attack in which he had escaped from.

He couldn't avoid all of the attack since his clothes were all but shredded and his mask was long gone by now. His clothes were replaceable, but his goal in testing Naruto's strength wasn't. That was the reason he had attacked him in the first place even though he had gone against the Hokage's wishes. He felt it was necessary that Naruto gained some experience in a life and death situation and who better than him right.

Of course he didn't plan for this battle to drag on this far, but that was beyond his reach and was just glad it was finally over. Once he had gotten Naruto's small backpack which was surprisingly still in piece went back and picked up Naruto's sleeping body and disappeared to a camp that he had set up before his ever happened. He pretty much knew how it would go, but had to admit that Naruto was far stronger than he had first imagined and would only get stronger with proper training of course.

(3 hours later)

(Location Camp)

Naruto slowly began to awaken as he groggily opened his eyes and inspected his surroundings. His eyes widened when he spotted the very man that had defeated him in battle casually sitting in the very corner with his eyes closed seemingly asleep and resting. Naruto knew this might be his only chance to escape and run, but he couldn't feel his body at all and realized he had no choice but to stay.

Itachi casually opened his eyes and gazed towards Naruto who was equally looking back at him trying to figure out what he could do to escape, but of course couldn't since he had exhausted his energy from the fight a couple of hours ago. He decided to introduce himself and try and appease him and let him know he was a friendly and had no reason to be afraid of him.

"Naruto-kun don't be afraid of me I was sent here personally by the Hokage to watch over you and protect you from danger". He calmly stated and noticed Naruto's confused face.

Naruto was confused as to why the enemy was normally chatting with him, but he heard that the Hokage had sent him it calmed him down a little. There was still the question as to why he attacked him if he was sent to protect him. "If the Hokage really sent you to protect me then why did you attack me in the first place? Naruto asked wanting to find out the truth behind his intentions.

Itachi stoically gazed at Naruto's hardened eyes, "the reason I attacked you Naruto-kun was my own and not because the Hokage had ordered me to do so. So don't think he betrayed you and the reason I attacked you was to find out personally if you were strong it's that simply".

Naruto was still slightly confused, but nodded understanding his point of view of things and was relieved he was a friendly since he honestly could say that he couldn't defeat this man that casually spoke with him. Naruto laid his head back down and stared at the roof of the tent, "What's your name by the way Anbu-san? He asked interested to find out the man's name that had defeated him so easily.

Itachi simply nodded, "Uchiha Itachi".

Naruto nodded to himself already knowing that he was an Uchiha with those eyes of his similar to Maki's, but way more developed. "Hey I don't suppose you know a person named Maki Uchiha would you?

Itachi nodded, "Yes I know your friend Maki Uchiha very well in fact since she was supposed to get married to me a couple of years ago. That of course all changed when she had activated her sharingan even though she was female. She was hated by the council feeling threatened by the fact that her eyes might be superior than some of our most talented shinobi's and were worried that their positions would've been eventually taken over by her".

Naruto was surprised that this man was supposed to marry Maki-chan, but was quickly filled with anger at the way they treated her just for being powerful. He shifted his gaze towards Itachi, "Do you feel the same way as them Itachi? Do you hate Maki-chan as well? He asked curious to know how he felt in the matter.

Itachi merely shook his head, "If I would've hated her Naruto-kun I would've already killed her, but I don't hate anyone that doesn't deserve to be hated".

Naruto was slightly disturbed by his answer, but quietly sighed in relief thankful that a powerful person such as Itachi didn't hate her and wouldn't be a threat to her. Naruto felt Itachi's piercing stare towards him signaling that he wanted to say something.

"Naruto-kun I have a proposition for you, you could of course either choose to deny it or accept it". Itachi looked towards him as he nodded for him to continue with his proposition. "Naruto-kun I offer to train you personally since I saw that you have so much potential contained inside that it would go to waste if you are not trained properly so what do you say?

Naruto looked hesitant but not because he didn't want to be trained by him, but because he already had a sensei back home.

Itachi saw his indecisiveness and already knew what was troubling him since he had heard from the Hokage that Maki was training him at the moment. "Do not worry about Maki Naruto-kun she will just have to understand that you require a better sensei. After all don't you feel you need to hold back when you spar with her".

Naruto mentally sighed knowing what Itachi was saying was true and that if he ever wanted to become more powerful he needed someone stronger than him. Naruto nodded and determinedly looked towards Itachi, "I accept your offer Itachi-sensei so when do we start training?

Itachi faintly smirked at Naruto's eagerness to begin training, "We will begin once you complete your mission Naruto-kun so focus on the task at hand alright".

Naruto shrugged that he had to wait an entire month before he could begin to get stronger, but accepted it and nodded. He saw his sensei began to close his eyes looking for some rest.

"You should rest Naruto-kun since we will depart in the morning. We have wasted enough time already and are still a few days away from the destination and you're supposed to meet your contact so rest and be ready for nonstop traveling".

Naruto simply nodded and closed his eyes once again and for the first time slept soundly most likely from the fact that he had exhausted most of his energy in the battle.

(The next morning)

(Location Camp)

Naruto awoke feeling stronger than ever as he glanced towards the corner where Itachi was resting and was confused that it was empty. He then heard a crackling sound coming from the outside and guessed that Itachi was probably preparing breakfast. Naruto got up and exited the tent and saw Itachi sitting by the campfire eating what appeared to be some sandwiches. He quickly realized that they were the ones Maki had made for him.

He quickly dashed towards him and snatched his box lunch back before he finished them all. Not that he was hungry, but still Maki had made them specifically for him not Itachi. He counted how many were left and saw that there were still six sandwiches left out of the twelve. He sighed in relief that Itachi hadn't eaten them all and began to eat them himself before Itachi had a chance to finish them.

Itachi looked amused at his antics, "Don't worry Naruto-kun I wouldn't take all of them for myself. I only took enough for myself and left just as much for you so don't act so selfish".

Naruto didn't even pay him any attention as he continued to eat his sandwiches and had finally eaten them all. Even though he was gagging the whole time he still felt he needed to finish them for the trouble Maki had gone through for him.

Itachi seeing Naruto finish stuffing his face rose from his small log and walked to the tent to grab something.

He exited and tossed it towards Naruto, "Here Naruto-kun a new cape since you destroyed yours last night and also here's your headband that the Hokage forgot to give you. Don't forget to put it on or the villagers might start to wonder why you are there in the first place, but if you have your headband it will let them know that you are a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf and will leave you alone for the most part".

Naruto stood up and put on his new cape that was still pitch black, but hesitated on putting on the headband since he technically wasn't a ninja yet. Since he still needed to go to the academy and graduate as those were the requirements on getting your headband.

Itachi saw this and quickly eased his worries, "Put it on Naruto-kun it's only for the mission so don't worry now hurry we must depart before anybody notices us".

Naruto nodded and put the headband on and tightened it before gathering his things and joining his sensei who was already heading towards their destination.

(4 days later)

(Near the Main Gates of Otogakure)

Naruto could see the village gates ahead of him and was calm as ever when standing beside Itachi who he quite honestly enjoyed his company. Since he was also very quiet like himself and would only talk when it was necessary like now.

"Alright Naruto-kun we have arrived and unfortunately I cannot join you in your mission since I wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place. I will carefully watch you in the shadows so don't even try and signal me alright".

Naruto nodded as they approached the village gates and Itachi was about to disappear from sight, but not before leaving Naruto with a piece of advice.

"Now Naruto-kun don't try to draw any unwanted attention towards yourself and simply head straight towards the meeting place and follow whatever instructions the contact gives you. Since he's the one who is going to do most of the work and you're just his backup so no mistakes and get the job done do you understand this isn't a game. Itachi lectured trying to inform Naruto that this was a mission and failure wouldn't be tolerated.

Naruto didn't even look towards Itachi's retreating form, "Don't worry Itachi-sensei I won't fail so don't worry so much". He confidently walked forward and slipped right through the village gates signaling the beginning of his mission.


	9. Contact

_**A/N: Hello there my fellow reader I have another chapter for you guys before I go back to school so ENJOY!**_

(Location The village of Otogakure)

Naruto slowly made his way towards the entrance of the Village hidden in the sound named Otogakure. This place was assigned specifically by the Hokage for his destination of the mission. He slowly made his way through the village gates and noticed that there weren't any guards whatsoever like in his village.

This kind of confused him as to why they weren't any sort of protection from possible outside enemies, but when he thought more about it maybe he just couldn't see them and they could see him very well. He didn't object to this kind of style since it would probably take him more time getting checked and inspected so didn't complain.

He slowly crossed the village gates and came to a standstill as he raised his head and took in the surrounding village. He breathed in the fresh air that ran through this seemingly peaceful village and it made him think of a better place where no one would bother him.

If you were looking from the outside of Otogakure it would look like any other hidden village. It looked almost identical to his own village back in Konoha which included the huge tower that most likely housed the village leader that watched over his entire population of the village. Making sure that everything ran smoothly and safely like all village leaders strived for in their own village.

The only difference that this village had from his own at least physically was the lack of Hokage Mountains in the back ground. That would pretty much be the difference between all villages compared to his own back home. The feeling was also different, it was like you were being watched, but when you would turn around and examine who it was there would be nobody there. It also enforced his idea of their being some kind of security for the village he just couldn't catch a glimpse of them, but he most certainly could feel them that's for sure.

He slowly reached over to his small backpack and examined its contents. Once finding what he was looking for grasped the scroll that the Hokage had given him at the beginning of the mission. The scroll contained the destination he was required to go to for him to meet his contact whoever he may be and be informed on his future action that pertained to his mission.

He unrolled the small scroll and calmly gazed at the description of the place that indicated to him to head to a decently popular bar in the village. Where his contact would be waiting for him and it was located at the very south end of the village. All he had to do was walk straight ahead and turn a bit to the right. Pretty straight forwards instructions he believed which he didn't mind.

Once finished looking at the scroll he carefully put the scroll back inside his backpack and securely zipped it up and shifted his eyes straight ahead. He immediately began to walk ahead not wanting to waste any more time simply standing there like a wandering fool. His stroll through the village was pretty much the same as when he was back in Konoha.

He noticed several of the villagers murmuring to each other and pointing towards him clearly interested as to why a foreign ninja would visit their village. It was understandable to be curious since this village at least from the outside was mostly a civilian village if one didn't delve too deep into the village. He of course knew there must have been some kind of shinobi present inside the village since there were always secrets in all villages that were carefully locked away as to not scare the civilians and start a riot among them.

He calmly continued to walk forward not even giving the villagers his time of day as to not draw any attention towards himself. Like Itachi had specifically informed him if he didn't want to risk making a scene and bring even more attention at him which he did not want at all of course. Things in life don't always like to follow according to plan at least to Naruto this statement was true.

He had to pause on his walk when he witnessed a drunken villager coming out of a small tavern complaining to himself at apparently being kicked out of the small tavern. He was now mumbling to himself and stumbling all over the street that led him to unfortunately walk straight in front of Naruto. The villager seemed to become annoyed with his calm demeanor and he apparently didn't take it too well and only seemed to think that he was mocking his behavior.

The drunken villager got right into Naruto's face and glared at him with a face contorted with anger at the way he imagined Naruto was mocking him somehow. "H-hey l-little b-brat what the hell do you think you're looking at huh? He forcefully poked him in the chest as he stumbled among his words clearly having too much to drink.

Naruto merely grabbed the man's hand and slowly began to crush it as he calmly glared at the civilian making the man squirm under his unrelenting gaze. Naruto continued to glare at the man and steadily kept applying more pressure to his arm and coldly whispered to man as to not startle the other villagers who were clearing trying to listen into their conversation.

"Listen well villager-san as I will only state this once. I strongly advise you to keep your hand to yourself and keep walking towards wherever you were heading. If you don't I will have to take drastic measures and be inclined to kill you quickly". He emphasized the last part to make his point clear and hopefully make the civilian understand his blatant threat.

The villager started to surround them curious to find out what all the commotion was all about since they really didn't have anything else to do and were bored out of their minds.

They hoped that something exciting might happen like a fight or something. The only thing they were greeted with was a drunken villager fiercely running for his life constantly screaming that he was going to be killed and for somebody to help him. When they turned back to find out what had caused the man to panic like that the only thing they witnessed was a teenage sized figure covered by a large black cape calmly walking ahead.

Once the man had gone a few ways away from the scene a lone woman a tad bit taller than Naruto about 5feet 2inches came silently to the scene and narrowed her eyes towards the disappearing figure of Naruto's. "Can someone explain to me what exactly happened here that made that man scream for his life". She coldly demanded and continued to glare into the empty street where she supposed the kid had wandered off too.

Most of the villagers flinched at her tone of voice towards them, but some gutsy ones also got angry and decided to voice their opinion on the foul mouthed Kunochi. "Hey what gives you the right to speak with us like that just because you have some sort of job with the lord doesn't make you any better bitch". The villagers massed together in hope that they would somehow intimidate her by their numbers, but of course that didn't work at all.

The young Kunochi's mask of calmness was quickly crumbling away from the irritating noise coming from these whiny villagers believing they had her beat. She concentrated her chakra and mercilessly spiked her killing intent making the weak willed villagers drop immediately to their knees gasping for air under the intense pressure she was producing.

Her narrowed eyes roamed across the people making them even more terrified as she randomly picked someone to explain the situation and hopefully not have to resort to violence. Which she didn't care if it did resort to that it just meant more paperwork for her.

Her hate filled eyes stopped and rested on an elderly woman that was slightly trembling from the pressure, but had an otherwise calm demeanor as if she was somehow used to it. "You there old hag get your wrinkly ass the fuck up and explain to me what the hell made the cowardly drunken man run screaming for his life". She narrowed her eyes at the elderly woman, "The information you tell me better be fucking correct or I swear I will kill you where you stand".

She threatened wanting to find out what had happened and quickly go report like she was told, but she was also slightly intrigued as to who that kid was that made a grown ass man run screaming for his life. What also bothered her was the lack of information on the kid who otherwise looked pretty normal looking. She was sure that something was peculiar about that kid, but what that was she wasn't sure.

The elderly woman flinched at her threat and immediately stood up and answered what she had witnessed not wanting to create any more trouble for her. "Well when I was going out on a morning stroll to go get some much needed groceries for the house since my husband is a lazy bum who just likes to stuff his face and watch that dam Television all the time".

She was rudely interrupted by the young Kunochi who was struggling to keep her cool under control or risk killing the old woman right there and then for wasting all this precious time where she could've spent doing something about it. "Enough! With your life story you old hag just get to the fucking point already and tell me what you saw. _'Geez what's with these fucking people thinking I give two fucks about what they were doing'_.

The old woman merely glared at the young girl, "Oh my youngsters these days having no patience anymore I remember in my day when". The young Kunochi threw a fierce glare towards her, "What was that granny did I hear you say something or was that just the fucking wind talking. You better hope it was because I sure don't want to hear another fucking story about your young days". She muttered through clenched teeth barely containing her cool.

The woman flinched a little from the glare, but continued with her story anyways. "As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted I was going to get some much needed groceries for my home when I was forced to stop and witnessed a drunken man step out of the tavern. The drunken man walked right up to the young man and for some reason thought he was mocking him, but from my perspective the young man was merely looking past the man". The old woman breathed much needed air and continued.

"Well when the drunken fellow started getting snippy with the young man blaming him on looking down on him started to poke the young man on the chest rather harshly. The next thing I saw was the young man simply grabbed the other arm and start squeezing it pretty hard I imagine from the pained looked on the others face. The next thing I didn't quite catch what the young man had said since he whispered it to the man and it must've been something terrifying to make him run like that".

The old woman sighed in relief at finally telling her side of the story and what she witnessed. She looked towards the young girl who was grinding her teeth in apparent anger not liking what she had heard.

The young girl calmed herself and relaxed her jaw and looked towards the old woman again not quite done with her yet. "Describe to me exactly what he looked like and you better not fuck with me and tell me a lie or I swear I will kill you right here", she bluntly threatened.

The old woman nodded and began to describe what she saw a couple of minutes ago. "Well to start off he was a bit shorter than you at about 5'1 and was slightly muscular but not too much to be huge. His hair was bright yellow that stuck straight up, but the most terrifying feature on him was his eyes. His eyes were ice cold blue that promised pain and death towards anyone who got in his way". She trembled at the thought of his blue eyes and could honestly say they were one of the most terrifying eyes she had seen in her long life.

The young girl narrowed her eyes once again and was about to leave having learned all this information, but was stopped by the old woman. "Oh and I also saw that he was a shinobi from the leaf by the headband he was wearing on his forehead just thought I should let you know".

The young girl steeled her features and nodded and quickly disappeared from sight making some of the villagers jump in fright at her quick exit.

(Location Hidden Base in Otogakure)

The young Kunochi appeared in a very dark room that was only lit by a few candles purposely placed around the room. She quickly kneeled and reported to her master that was masked by the darkness, "Lord Orochimaru I am here to report that what you predicted has come to fruition. It appears the Leaf have sent an unknown shinobi to investigate the mysterious disappearances that have occurred around this village recently". She finished with her report not daring to raise her head unless prompted to by her master as she subconsciously rubbed her neck where a dark tattoo rested.

Opposite of the young girl were bright yellow eyes that shone through the darkness as a pale man sat in a huge throne like chair. He began to silently laugh which made her flinch a little at the thought of her master laughing.

The mysterious pale man known as Orochimaru flicked his wrist signaling for the young girl to stand, "Well done Tayuya-san it appears that you can do something right for a change and actually got vital information for me. I was pleasantly surprised that you completed this little mission I assigned you since you always seem to fail even the most simplistic assignments by that foul mouth of yours".

The pale man laughed at her many failures in the past, but she just stood there and took the criticism not even daring to go against her master in fear of being killed. She needed to reach her goal and for that she needed to get stronger which Orochimaru could provide for her.

Orochimaru stopped laughing and laid his frightening eyes on Tayuya once again, "Tayuya-san I have another mission for you and this one is simple all you have to do is to watch this person and find out what he does. You must avoid being spotted at all times or he could potentially kill you understand". Even though he treated her with disrespect sometimes the fearless leader still cared for his subordinates.

She quickly nodded in conformation taking his advice to heart knowing that whoever this person might be dangerous.

He reached for a scroll that contained information on the person Tayuya had to watch and flicked it to her so that she could better understand what exactly she was dealing with.

Tayuya quickly unrolled the scroll she was given and methodically read through it and was surprised with what little information it had on the person that was assigned to come to the village. She glanced at her master with a careful eye and was about to ask why there was so little information, but was quickly silenced.

"I see you realized that we have little to no information on him since a certain incident happened a while back that apparently the village doesn't want prying eyes to know about it. So they in turn have kept it a well-guarded secret and haven't released any official information on him. Don't worry about that since I have some of my people working on getting that information. All you have to do is carefully observe him and figure out what his reason for coming is understand".

She confidently nodded, but still not entirely at ease at not knowing everything there was to know about her potential enemy. She glanced over the scroll one last time and slowly traced over the markings where it stated his name. "So his name is Naruto Uzumaki huh… interesting", she smirked excited to what awaited her in the days to come.

(Location back in the Village)

Naruto continued to walk towards the back of the village where the information in the scroll informed him of the destination. The contact would be waiting for him in a restaurant/bar and hand him instruction on what to do next. He quickly approached the place and silently slipped through without anyone noticing. Once inside he surveyed the entire establishment and noticed that it wasn't that crowded to begin with since it was kind of early for people to be drinking.

Once finishing surveying the area slowly made his way towards the bartender who was busily serving the few customers that were there. He arrived and signaled for the bartender to come. Naruto simply took out his scroll that contained his contacts name and silently showed it to the man.

The bartender simply pointed towards a booth at the very end of the restaurant and quickly went to attend to his other customers leaving Naruto alone. He followed the direction the bartender had given him and was a bit confused when he saw an old looking man happily laughing with two beautiful young women hanging from each arm closely clinging to his body.

Naruto sighed and slowly made his way towards the laughing man to get this over with and was once again assaulted with the man's laughter.

"Ladies please stop arguing amongst each other there is plenty of me to go around hahahaha". He burst into raucous laughter and continued to take shot after shot of pure liquor seemingly unfazed by the amount of alcohol he was consuming in such a short amount of time.

The two women clinging around each arm continued to fight for his attention, "but Jiraiya-kun I thought you said I was your favorite". Both girls continued to fight over who was better for him when they were suddenly interrupted by the presence of a figure. Both of the girls stopped fighting and looked towards their newest visitor and couldn't help, but look lustfully towards the boy.

"Is this one of your friends Jiraiya-kun he's so cute care to introduce him to us please". They pleaded with the white haired man but were ignored when the man simply glared at the young man and narrowed his eyes. "What do you want kid can't you see I'm in the middle of something now go away this isn't a place for children". He merely waved him away and scoffed at being interrupted by that little punk when he was having so much fun with these beautiful women.

Naruto simply ignored his order and continued to stand unmoving and had already marked the old man as foolish for underestimating him. "Jiraiya-san please try to reconsider and at least let me introduce myself I am Uzumaki Naruto I presume you've at least heard of me". His smile went unnoticed when he saw the old man gasp in surprise.

Jiraiya quickly gathered himself and steeled his features and gazed towards Naruto who was waiting for a response. "So they sent a brat like you huh? Well that's just my luck isn't it? He grumbled in annoyance at the audacity of the village sending such an inexperienced kid to this potentially dangerous mission. To top it all off it had to be Naruto of all people what were they thinking he is still just a kid.

Both women felt the tense atmosphere between the two of them and made the wise decision of leaving, but not before kissing Jiraiya on the way out and winking at Naruto. Naruto reached for his scroll inside his backpack and handed it to Jiraiya to prove that he was assigned to the mission. Jiraiya merely denied the scroll already knowing they would send someone, but he didn't expect it would be Naruto of all people that they could've chosen for the job.

Jiraiya sighed and waved Naruto to take a seat and silently contemplated as to how Naruto had changed so much in such little time. He looked like he was three years his actual age when he last saw him a couple of months ago. He was also wondering why he wasn't informed of what exactly had caused the changes since it was apparent it wasn't natural. Well he could've had hit puberty early and maybe that would explain his slight increase in height, but one things for sure his attitude was not the cause of puberty.

The Naruto he knew from the few times he had seen him was a boisterous loud mouth kid always shouting that he wanted to be hokage, but this Naruto was a serious young man. The only thing that he had been informed of was that Naruto now possessed a kekkei genkai called Byakurai or white lightning.

The hokage specifically informed him that his kekkei genkai granted him the ability to harness electricity and even lightning without hurting the user. This ability was truly unique and from he understood Naruto was the only one in the whole world to have this ability.

Jiraiya was brought out of his train of thought when Naruto spoke, "Well Jiraiya-san can we perhaps precede with the mission? He calmly asked at the strange man in front of him.

Jiraiya smirked at the attitude the kid was giving him, "Don't get too cocky kid or it will swell you head even bigger than what it is now". He laughed as he tried to get on Naruto's nerves and try to break his calm façade from the serious young man.

Of course that didn't work as Naruto simply sat there unaffected by Jiraiya's attempt to mock him and waited for him to continue with the mission details.

Jiraiya frowned at his lack of emotion and waved for the bartender for the check to get out of there. He paid the man and nudged Naruto to follow him out of the restaurant. Once they were outside Jiraiya's demeanor changed from laid back to serious, "Alright kid don't get too excited, today you're basically just scouting out the entire village for anything suspicious nothing big.

When you're done with that you can do what you want for the next few days and I'll come back and inform you on what to do next. So relax and enjoy yourself for a change we all know you need it". He laughed and patted Naruto's back firmly making the young man uncomfortable.

He reached for his inner pocket inside his red coat and took out several bills and handed it to Naruto. "Here kid this will be enough for you to rent a hotel and buy some food that should last you several days and some extra to enjoy yourself if you catch my drift". He raised his eyebrows suggestively and began to walk away laughing and leaving a confused Naruto still pondering what exactly the old man meant.

(Several hours later)

Once he had finished scouting the whole village which was relatively simple since it wasn't as big as Konoha decided to turn in for the night. He headed back to his hotel which he had rented for several days since he didn't exactly know when Jiraiya would return. He shifted his eyes towards the sun which was dropping below the horizon and was soon replaced by the moon that shone brightly along the star covered sky.

As he was nearing the hotel complex he instinctively felt a faint source of energy steadily following him as he walked. Either this person was very good at hiding their presence or they were weak he wasn't sure. He made sure not to make it obvious to the enemy that he had already sensed them so continued to calmly walk forward while he tried and pinpoint where he/she was.

As he neared his hotel the presence felt even stronger than before indicating that whoever was tailing him had grown bolder and deemed it was safe enough to get closer to him. He slowly stopped his steps and pinpointed the intruder was somewhere hidden among the few trees that were inside the village.

He had to stifle a chuckle when he heard the now identifiable Kunochi grumbling to herself over him stopping. Naruto merely raised his voice towards the Kunochi, "I know your hiding up there why don't you make it easy and introduce yourself Kunochi-san". He asked as politely as he could as to not startle her into running away not really feeling up for a chase around the village.

Meanwhile Tayuya debated on whether showing herself or simply running and with her stubborn attitude decided to confront the cocky boy. She swiftly dropped from her perch on the tree and glared fiercely towards the young man.

Naruto had his back turned against her and smiled that she had complied with his suggestion. "Hello there Kunochi-san may I ask what you were doing up in that tree following me the whole while? Naruto stood unmoving waiting for a response to his question.

Tayuya merely scoffed at his cockiness and spit towards the ground, "Like I give a damn to what you want kid. What I want to know is what the fuck are you doing in this village in the first place? This isn't a place to send some pathetic child on his first ever mission". She smirked, "Your village must really want you dead huh?

Naruto's smile quickly disappeared from her response, "I will tell you once more Kunochi-san tell me the reason why were you following". His tone dropping the atmosphere a couple degrees by the coldness in his voice that promised death if made fun of again.

Tayuya flinched at his tone, but managed to hold her bladder and instinctively reached for something in her pouch.

Naruto of course saw this and disappeared from sight and reappeared besides her landing a huge blow to the side of her head sending her flying to the side of an empty building shattering it on contact. Naruto brought his fist under his cape and calmly walked over to the debris where Tayuya's body was lying unconscious at. He reached inside the hole and effortlessly slung her body over his shoulder and unconsciously rested his hand on her ass. "I guess I should take her back to my room and interrogate her and perhaps find out what exactly her motive was in following me". He continued holding Tayuya from her ass and in a blink of an eye disappeared from sight.


	10. Interrogation

_**A/N: Welcome my fellow reader you might be surprised that I brought out another one but don't be since I had spare time and managed to whip this chapter up. So please Enjoy and Review!**_

(Several hours later)

(Location Naruto hotel room)

The night in Otogakure was a pretty quiet one for the citizens that had gone to sleep from another hectic day. The fact that they had come face to face with a kid that had that 'killer look' as they would call it yes it was a very interesting day indeed. The cold breeze of the night ran through the dead silent village signifying the end of the day for its citizens that inhabited it.

This was especially true for the young Kunochi that was comfortably resting on a bed and had been doing so for the last couple of hours. Since Naruto had to forcefully knock her unconscious or risk alerting the entire village of their eventual fight that would've come to fruition if he didn't act fast enough.

Thankfully that was all avoided thanks to his quick thinking and powerful right arm. What surprised him the most was the fact that the villagers didn't even budge from their slumber even though he was sure he had made a lot of ruckus that would be enough to wake up even a very deep sleeper.

The full moon illuminated the night sky shining brightly that peered through the large window that was in his hotel room he had rented out where they both resided for the night. When he first put her to sleep he was surprised at how peaceful she looked and it seemed to him that this was probably her first real sleep in a long while.

He was also a bit shocked at how similar she and Maki appeared to be. They both had dark red hair, but Tayuya's was a bit shorter than Maki's. For a girl that cursed a lot her features were the exact opposites indicating that wherever she lived she took good care of herself.

He was brought out of his mental examination of his prisoner if you would call it that because he certainty didn't see this as a prison that's for sure. When he noticed her slowly began to regain consciousness after all this time she had spent asleep on his bed. He decided to simply watch what exactly she would do in her situation and act as if he was merely sleeping.

Meanwhile Tayuya slowly began to regain consciousness as she pried her heavy eyelids from all that sleeping she had done. Her vision slowly began to accustom to the dark room and began to grasp where exactly she was. She quickly remembered what had happened the night before and was quickly brought on alert for any possible attack that may have come. Surprisingly all her concerns were for naught since the only thing that she heard was the dead silence running through pitch black room.

One other major thing she found out was that both her arms and her legs were tightly strung together making it near impossible to break free. Of course that wouldn't stop her as she began to fiercely struggle to possibly get loose from the thick rope around her, but quickly tired out since the rope seemed nigh unbreakable.

She silently panicked as her eyes finally began to get accustomed to the darkness of the room and tried to grasp some sort of visualization of where exactly she was brought to. By all people to be captured by she had to be caught by the one that she was supposed to follow, but instead she got captured.

'_Wait till Orochimaru finds out about this he will fucking kill me for this failure. Just my fucking luck I had to screw this one also I mean come one give me a fucking break why don't you'. _She mentally prayed to no one in particular.

She suddenly felt a very sharp pain on the side of her head where Naruto had effortlessly knocked her out with a single punch. She cringed at the pain that ran through her head and silently fumed at being defeated so easily.

'_How the fuck did that kid get the jump on me? I mean he didn't look that fast to begin with and yet he skillfully got through my defenses and laid a right hook right at me'_. She gnawed her teeth in frustration, _'There must be something special about that kid to be able to easily overpower me or the harsh truth might be that I am still too weak to even defeat a mere kid'_.

She sighed in defeat when thinking back on her miserable failure as she absentmindedly stared towards the empty ceiling and at least tried to think of a plan to escape. Since from what she could tell there appeared to be absolutely no one present in the room. She figured that the kid would at least watch over her, but apparently she wasn't that important to begin with.

The thought of being watched all night by the blond kid oddly made her fluster a bit which for what reason she didn't have a damn clue. I mean it's not like she has ever met him, but when she followed him throughout the night and witnessed how he prided himself she knew that there was something special about him.

That rarely happens to her when she's assigned to watch over someone for assassination or whatever the job might be she realized that with this guy it was something totally different. The aura around him felt special like if her subconscious was telling her that this guy was unique in every form. Her thoughts on Naruto slowly faded away and the only thing on her mind right now was finding a way to escape out of her predicament.

She carefully began to nudge herself to the far side of the bed and try to at least sit up so that she can have a chance to leave the room. The only thing that worried her was the lack of information on how much exactly she had left. She decided to risk it and was rewarded with a sharp pain on her sides as she fell over and pounded the hard floor making a big "Thump" sound.

She winced in pain from the hard landing and began to mumble curses to the silent air, "Fucking kid tying me with this fucking tight ass rope what does he think I am a fucking animal to shepherd. When I get my hands on that kid I am going to fucking rip his balls off and feed it to himself and let's see who's the master now little shit". She wickedly began grinning when picturing what that would look like as she silently laughed to herself from what she pictured Naruto would look like when she cut them off.

She sighed at her situation and stopped laughing realizing how crazy that sounded as she continued to lay face first on the hard wood floor. She closed her tired eyes and breathed in and tried to calm herself like Orochimaru had constantly reminded her. If she didn't calm down she might not be able to think rationally and find a way out of here like she desperately needed right now.

She carefully rolled upwards and tiredly began to examine the rest of the room around her and was startled beyond belief when her eyes rested on the exact person that had captured her a couple of hours ago. The person that singlehandedly knocked her out was silently sleeping against a dark corner of the room. Well at least she believed he was asleep by the fact that his eyes were closed and he wasn't reacting to her.

Tayuya couldn't help but look in awe at the sight of her enemy sleeping so peacefully for what seemed to be in quite a while. Well at least that's what she believed when she had followed him for hours as he explored the village and in her opinion he needed to loosen up a little.

From the short hours she had spent following him and studying him determined that he was a very serious kid almost heartless. She knew this attitude was a result of something of his past that made him like that. She could relate since she also was victim of a tragic past.

Her face had unconsciously adopted one of anger when looking at the mysterious stranger that soundly slept in the corner of the room not at all bothered by the hard wood floor. It made her realized that he must've of chosen to give her the bed instead of taking it for himself and perhaps he wasn't such a bad guy after all.

Her eyes had adjusted enough to be able to distinguish where exactly the side of the bed was and slowly crawled towards it. She slowly began to raise herself up from the floor so that she was on her feet. She absentmindedly gave one more glance towards her captor and couldn't help, but rid the feeling of admiration towards his figure. Her eyes furrowed in thought at the constant feeling of something special about him that made her want to know even more about him.

Her cheeks began to heat up when looking at Naruto surprising her, _'Focus girl this is the guy who captured you and could've potentially killed you there's no time to be fucking around and waste time on this tiny crush'._

She reassured herself and carefully waddled towards the door and since she was bound there wasn't really much she could do. After what seemed like forever she had finally made it to the door and not wasting anytime quickly raised her tied up arms and gave the doorknob a hard twist.

The lack of twisting meant that the door was unfortunately locked from the outside. She began to twist the poor doorknob even harder silently cursing out her captor who was a mere few feet away from her berating herself that even for a second thought that he was cool. What in the fuck was she thinking back then seriously.

She heavily sighed in defeat dropping her arm to her sides knowing that the door wouldn't budge without a key. Her gaze shifted towards the sleeping boy and guessed that he had to have the key to the locked door since he had probably locked it himself. She calmed herself once again and silently walked towards him not wanting to wake him up or risk being killed before she even got a chance to escape.

She silently reached where Naruto was resting his back against the wall and was barely able to differentiate where his pockets were on his chest that could potentially have the key. She slipped her small hands past the black cape and into the nearest pocket on his vest and was lucky enough to find it on her first try. She carefully pulled out the small silver key for the bedroom without waking him up.

She mentally fist pumped herself on the successful mission on pulling out the key without waking him up. She firmly gripped the small bedroom key and quietly made her way once again towards the bedroom door. She carefully tried to insert the simple key into the keyhole, but with her hands tied up she had trouble achieving this simple task and the result was the small key dropping loudly towards the cold floor.

While mumbling curses to Naruto once again she had to bend over to the ground and try to feel out where the key had landed. While she had gotten accustomed to the darkness of the room it was not enough to be able to see where the key had landed.

While Tayuya was hunched over desperately searching for the key Naruto had pretty much witnessed her whole ordeal as his calm bright blue eyes pierced through the darkness of the room. His eyes focused on what she was doing and he couldn't help but crack a smile at her situation. He had to admit that the way Tayuya was positioned it made his cool demeanor crumble at the impure thought running through his head. They mostly involved him basically jumping on her and ravaging her, but he resisted the temptation and simply watched her struggle.

Ever since his transformation a couple of weeks ago he had to constantly control his lust towards the other girls like Maki-chan for example. He informed the doctor while he was there and he simply explained to him that his body was forced to grow in an unnatural speed and that all the hormones that came with puberty was basically waging war inside himself constantly reminding him of the female form.

For no reason he began to get agitated towards Tayuya that he thought was just tempting him with the way she was swaying her hips, but he knew better as it was just his body playing tricks on him. He once again controlled himself and smirked at her little adventure she had experienced in this small room.

She strongly resembled Maki without her foul mouth of course, but he didn't really mind since it was her way of letting out her anger. His smirk eventually settled down as he remembered Maki kissing him on the cheek and telling him to come home safely or face the consequences.

While he was in thought Tayuya had finally managed to find the key and was in the process of trying to unlock the door, but failing miserably when she found it did not fit the keyhole for the door.

Naruto reached over to his other pocket and took out the correct key and began tossing it up and down mocking Tayuya's situation. "I see you're finally up Tayuya-san and to my surprise I see you trying to escape now is that the most polite thing to do? He fake pouted as the lights inside the bedroom flickered on powered by Naruto of course.

Tayuya stood frozen in place at the sound of the enemy's cold voice and honestly didn't know what to say so she did the only thing that came naturally to her. "Fuck you and your little game of prisoner now come over here and untie me or I will seriously hurt you understand". She muscled her courage and tried to threaten him, but from his perspective the threat was empty since she was trembling in either anger or fear he wasn't sure.

Naruto stopped tossing the small key and swiped it out of the air and carefully put it back in his pocket. His calm eyes rested on Tayuya's trembling form and his gaze made her even more paranoid. He slowly rose up from his spot and walked over to her who was carefully eying his every move.

The closer he got to her the more Tayuya panicked constantly thinking she was going to be killed resulting in her moving away from him. "Don't get near me you fucker or I will kill you just open the door and I will leave alright". She silently pleaded with him to be let free, but her pleas appeared to have no effect on him as he continued to methodically walk towards her his gaze unwavering.

She shut her eyes closed waiting for the imminent death blow which surprisingly never came as Naruto simply began to untie her binding which made her greatly confused at his actions. She of course didn't hesitate to strike him when he finished untying her feeling that she would die if she didn't do anything.

Naruto merely nudged his head to the side as her fist came breezing through hitting only open air. Naruto taking advantage of her arm extended quickly grabbed her and threw her towards the bed.

Tayuya was shocked that her punch had missed even though she was mere inches away from his face. She was even more confused when she saw him nonchalantly grab a chair and position it in front of her.

Naruto calmly sat down and slightly leaned forward and rested his serious eyes directly on her's. "Care to formally introduce yourself Tayuya-san? He calmly asked looking for more information besides her name which even then he wasn't sure it was correct. Since he had heard it from some mumbling villager cursing out some red headed girl that thought she ran the village.

Tayuya quickly stopped trembling and narrowed her eyes towards the boy. "How the hell do you even know my name you bastard? Who told you about me or did you strip me naked and searched me is that it. What a pathetic excuse of a man you are you make me sick". She venomously spit towards the ground and continued to stare at an expressionless Naruto not even caring what she just said.

"Who do you work for Tayuya-san? Why were you following me all this time you must know something now talk". He commanded in a calm tone which apparently made her even angrier if that was even possible.

She began to laugh hysterically at the way Naruto was being so calm even though he wanted to know her information. She quickly quieted down when she followed his movement towards the window as he gazed at the endless darkness that was the sky.

The atmosphere in the room quickly began to get heavier and heavier as the pressure in the room skyrocketed and made her take huge gulps of air. She was shocked beyond belief that this calm fellow had so much killing intent and he seemed like he wasn't even aware that he was doing it.

She struggled to keep her breath steady, but was failing miserably not accustomed with this much pressure in the environment. She gnawed her teeth at how casual looking Naruto was gazing out the window not even worried if he killed her or not.

"Now Tayuya-san don't make it any harder on yourself than it has to be. I only want to know more about you that's all and most importantly I want to know the reason you were assigned to follow me". He coldly stated not wanting to waste any more time than was required.

Tayuya just scoffed at him trying to threaten her, "Do you honestly believe I am going to betray my master and tell you my mission? Are you a fucking retard or something? Were you perhaps dropped by your parent when you were small? Are you even a real shinobi of the leaf or are you just some throwaway ninja that they sent". She mercilessly continued to berate him and laugh at how he was still trying to make her talk. Which was absolutely hilarious since she had been in way worse situations before and had always managed to escape relatively fine.

Naruto's face remained expressionless, but on the outside his body began to glow bright blue and spark around his body. The lights inside the room began to flicker on and off from the influx in power Naruto was producing.

She was mesmerized at the power he was exuding and was confused that a konoha shinobi had Raiton for their elemental infinity. That was extremely rare in the land of fire since having Raiton as your element usually meant that you came from Kumogakure or somewhere near there at least.

"Now Tayuya-san I will only tell you once more. What was the reason for you to be following me? Or I will be forced to kill you understand". His ice cold voice echoed against the empty walls of room making his voice sound even more terrifying.

Tayuya flinched at his tone of voice and was terrified beyond belief, but she knew that she couldn't reveal her reason to him since it would compromise her mission and could potentially get her killed by Orochimaru. That absolutely couldn't happen so she risked her life and bolted towards the door hoping to break it and escape.

Naruto quickly appeared in front of her and forcefully grabbed her from the neck and slammed her against the wall. "I warned you Tayuya-san that I would kill you if you didn't give me the information I wanted, but I will give you one more chance to tell me don't waste it". His menacing blue eyes pierced right through Tayuya's frightened ones.

Tayuya was desperately trying to breath from Naruto's hard grip, but still managed to crack a smirk. "Does this turn you on little boy? Hurting a defenseless girl", she spit. "Please don't make me laugh you bastard you don't have the balls to kill me your just a worthless piece of shit. Always trying to act cool like you had everything handled from the very start who do you think you are? You're just another nameless shinobi like the rest easily disposable". She seethed through clenched teeth trying to discourage him, but it didn't even faze him at all.

Naruto's cold glare rested on Tayuya's who was still refutably trying to break free from his iron grip. "You're really a stubborn girl Tayuya-san just like someone else I know. It is unfortunate that your stubbornness would be the cause for you death if only you would've listened and answered a simple question. You would've survived past this day and perhaps achieve whatever goals you had in life". His face remained unchanged for the deed that he was about to do.

Tayuya was shocked at what Naruto had just said, _'What did he somehow find out about my dream. No no no that's impossible I've never told anyone yes it was just a fluke nobody must know my goals'._

Naruto whispered, "Kaminari Mahi" (Lightning Paralysis) as a steady stream of electricity began to stream into Tayuya's body slowly shutting down her nervous system. This move would paralyze her until her brain stopped functioning all together and the result would eventually kill her.

She quickly began to lose power as her body steadily began to go limp as she felt her life force being quickly drained from her body and her existence in this world fading away.

She unknowingly began to think back on how happy she was before she was even found by Orochimaru and she honestly thought that her life would never be the same after that incident. So far her prediction was coming to fruition, but even through her constant failures she always stuck to one goal that kept her driving forward through hard times and that was avenging her wrongfully murdered family.

Naruto's hardened eyes rested on Tayuya's limp body that was quickly shutting down, but before she was totally gone he saw a strange tattoo that originated from her neck start to spread across her entire body. He narrowed his eyes at the sudden presence of a huge power surge coming from Tayuya which surprised him, but also intrigued him to find out even more about the strange markings.

Tayuya had begun transforming before his very eyes as her whole appearance was quickly morphing and her power was steadily increasing even with his electricity coursing through her body.

Meanwhile inside Tayuya's mind.

(Flash back 6 years ago)

(Location Unknown village)

A red headed child was huddled against a corner in her parents' closet as her mother had instructed her to do so when the attack on their village had begun. She was terrified at the constant screams of anguish that came from the outside of the house.

Her ears perked up from the sounds of heavy moans and grunts coming just outside her small closet and decided to peek through her closet to satisfy her curiosity. Little did she know that scene in front of her would scar her for life? Her eyes were greeted by her beautiful mother being mercilessly raped by random shinobi looking to satisfy their animalistic cravings.

The nameless shinobi was currently thrusting in and out at a furious pace not caring if she was in pain since their boss had told them they didn't have a lot of time. "Fuck yeah you feel so fucking good lady your fucking enjoying this aren't you by the way your pussy is tightening around my member. Just listen to the sound your pussy makes when I pound into you. You must be a fucking whore being so wet while your dead husband is right next to you hahaha". He maniacally burst out in raucous laughter as he continued to pound into and slap her ass several times making it raw from the abuse.

Tayu simply closed her eyes and took it since she had no power to stop them and the only thing she cared about was the safety of her daughter.

Once they were done emptying their seed into her they decided to kill her since they were basically done with her. "Hey lets fucking kill her already she's no use to us anymore and the boss would flay our asses if we bring him a random woman to him no matter how beautiful she is". The other shinobi nodded and forcefully grabbed her by the neck and raised her up and charged his fist with futon and mercilessly thrust it directly at her breast where her heart was instantly killing her on the spot.

Tayuya was mortified by the scene she had just witnessed. The only people that ever cared for her were killed right in front of her and she was powerless to do anything about it. She hardened her feelings and burst through the closet door holding her precious flute she had been given by her mother as a birthday gift when she was five.

At first she didn't quite understand the reason her mother had given this to her since she didn't really like music, but her mother constantly reminded her that their family had always been blessed with creating music and she too would come to love it like she did.

She was right since throughout her childhood she had come to love her flute and loved to create music with it. One day when she was experimenting with the sounds strange things appeared from it and she was so frightened at the event she immediately stopped playing her flute thinking those monsters would come back.

Her mother in time noticed that she wasn't playing anymore and when she went to investigate the reason why she couldn't help but laugh. She reassured her that those monsters were her friends and would be there to protect her whenever she was in trouble.

She didn't understand exactly what her mother meant, but trusted her enough to start playing her flute once again. In time she learned how to control those strange creatures as they became her only source of companionship since all the other kids were afraid of her demonic friends. Now she stood before the people that destroyed her family and her temper was beyond the roof at this point.

She instinctively put the small flute to her gentle lips and started playing her music that her mother had taught her. While she was doing that the two shinobi were just eying her up and down thinking lecherous thought on what they could do to her. "Hey little girl why don't you come with us to our base. It's pretty dangerous out there so we will take it upon ourselves and protect you from harm". They lecherously smiled slowly inching their way towards her thinking how lucky they were that they didn't even notice the large humanoid giant figures towering behind them.

The huge demons immediately slashed at the oblivious shinobi effortlessly ripping them in half falling to their death without even knowing what killed them. Tayuya fell to the floor exhausted at having to summon her monsters. She slowly crawled towards her naked mother who was lying dead in the cold floor.

She gently touched her mother's face as the realization of losing her family finally hit her like a ton of bricks. She began to cry uncontrollably, "I-I'm s-so s-sorry m-mother it's my fault you were killed please forgive me wherever you are. I will get stronger and kill whoever ordered this massacre I promise you". She whispered towards her deceased mother when her eyes snapped to attention at the overpowering presence behind her.

She immediately tried to stand up, but failed miserably not having enough energy to even do that. She fell on her knees breathing hard as she kept her half opened eyes glued towards the strange man that oozed power and death.

The strange pale man simply smiled and let his eyes rest on the young child before him and offered her his hand. "I noticed that you have a very unique gift with the flute child. Join me child and I will give you the power you desire so that this tragedy might never befall another ones family again. All you have to do is pledge allegiance to me and I will grant it". He smirked towards her as she hesitantly raised her small hand towards his and agreed.

The pale man immediately struck her neck making her experience the worst pain in her entire life making her pass out from it as a strange symbol appeared as a result. The pale man just gazed at her unconscious body as he picked her from the floor and carried her away vanishing into the burning flames.

(Flashback End)

(Location Naruto hotel room)

Naruto was struggling to keep his grip on her as she was completely transformed by now and now appeared demonic looking literally growing horns and her skin becoming a strange brown color.

Tayuya suddenly awakened as her eyes shot up and her demonic yellow eyes replaced her brown ones. She brought her arms back up and gripped Naruto arm with extreme force almost breaking it quickly overpowering him. "You will not kill me I will not perish from this world I will be the one that will bring you your death! She growled in a demonic voice.

She quickly dashed forwards and punched Naruto straight in the face throwing him out the window and continued to soar through the air until he collided straight into the side of house making a huge dent as he fell forward landing hard on the ground.

He slowly raised himself from the ground and calmly caressed his jaw from the hit and coldly shifted his gaze towards Tayuya. He narrowed his eyes to the item that she had close to her lips and was confused as to what that was used for. It appeared to be a normal flute to his eyes, but he could never be too sure. He was not too pleased from the sudden turn of events, but couldn't do anything about it anymore.

He brought his arms from under his cape and raised them towards the sky as the heavens responded by trembling and striking randomly across the sky. His ears were drowned by the sound of music playing and figured that the music the flute produced was her weapon in battle. _'Interesting'_, "Tayuya we don't have to fight since you know well enough that the only outcome to this meaningless battle is your _**death**_".

(Location unknown place deep underground)

Meanwhile with Orochimaru, "Kukukuku it seems our little Tayuya has grown up and awakened. I honestly doubted if she would ever awaken, but my doubts were meaningless since now she is officially one of us". Hopefully they won't cause that much destruction if she remembers where she is, but nonetheless it's still a pleasant occurrence isn't it Kimimaro? The expressionless figure beside him merely nodded and the only thing you could see was his cold dead blue eyes. "Yes it is Orochimaru-sama this will be a great test for Tayuya-san".


	11. Naruto vs Tayuya

_**A/N: Welcome everybody to a new chapter and I thank you for all the favs and follows it truly brings me joy to know someone out there Is reading my creation. Now enough about me and enjoy this chapter.**_

(Location Otogakure)

The moon in the dark sky illuminated the village as the battle was about to commence any moment now. The air around the two fighters was thick and the power coming from the female fighter was unnatural and dark.

Naruto stood motionless as the air around him became charged with electricity as he began to charge up for the incoming battle. His gaze was unwavering towards his second ever real opponent since Itachi was his first and he honestly could admit that he did not want to fight her whatsoever.

This was one of the rare few moments that he has felt like this since his goal has always been to get stronger. Of course the reason people do battle is to achieve more power to be able to go toe to toe with people stronger than you and the cycle continues from there.

He was a bit hesitant on hurting Tayuya he just didn't know why though. I mean it's not like he knew her that well since they had barely met each other last night. Still he felt something familiar and unique about her situation and felt the need to find out about her more, but that would have to wait a while longer.

He slowly brought his arm from below his cape and calmly examined it as it sparked with electricity. He firmly clenched his fist and brought it to his chest realizing something from the action. He slowly breathed in and since the time he had battled his sensei he had felt that he had gotten stronger from the fight. The way that his electricity sparked even fiercer and his control over the element had gotten even stronger since his fight with Itachi.

It gave him a sense of pride knowing that he was steadily getting stronger every day, but it also brought grave concerns over what exactly that meant for him and the people around him. Sure he would be able to defeat most shinobi that came his way, but at what price exactly. Was he going to lose his sense of right and wrong the more powerful he got and simply toss aside his comrades for more power.

Was that perhaps his fate? The more powerful he became the harder it was to reach him. Making him distant with his friends and loved ones, but if it meant gaining more power over it he wasn't sure if he could turn that down for his friends. He knew that his friends whoever they may be in the future would be vital for his growth, but in the end your power defines you in the world we live in today. Power is everything and the more you have of it the more people will respect you or fear you.

He cracked a smirk at the realization of forgetting that he had other people in this cruel world that actually cared for him. For example Maki-chan was the very first person that he was personally intrigued with when he first laid eyes on her from the fateful laundry incident. Where he had seen her in nothing, but her bra and panties and if he thought about it more seriously it was a glorious sight indeed that would probably never happen again. When she actually trusted him enough to tell him about her life story and how she was treated as a child for it. It made him realize that she was the same as him being hated for something you couldn't control.

Maki was the very first person that he was intrigued with when he first met her in the fateful laundry incident where he saw her in nothing but her underwear which was a glorious sight indeed now that he thought about it some more.

At first he was really self-conscious from all the glares he received whenever he walked the streets alone. As the time went by and he realized that it wasn't going to change he became immune to those glares and constant threats, but when he thought about Maki being physically harmed in anyway it made his blood boil and brought fear that he didn't know he had.

Anger that he would not be there to protect her whenever she needed it and absolute fear that he would somehow lose her. Even though horrible thoughts ran through his mind his face remained unchanged and kept an impassive façade that he always adorned even through the most impossible of situations.

Chi was also like them constantly being avoided and punished for something she didn't even know about. It was just like the time when he was brought into the horrible orphanage and would constantly be called all sort of terrible names. He was also being frequently abused for absolutely nothing. This constant abuse is what started this whole idea of becoming stronger to make sure this didn't happen again.

Her life changed when he found her huddled against the wall under a worn down roof desperately crying for help. For someone to hear her cries of sorrow and save her which in reality would never come to pass since she's being praying for help perhaps her whole life.

Even though it seemed that he didn't care what others thought of him, but on the inside it made him smile that he was affecting people's life for the better. Making them smile which to him was truly a spectacle to witness especially whenever Maki or Chi smiled around him.

It made him realize how lucky he was to have found them and it made him wonder what his life would've been without them. The word friends resonated deep inside him and it made him feel motivated having a new purpose other than to get stronger. He would use these powers he was gifted with and would use them to protect his friends even if it cost him his life.

He felt troubled for some reason having to face someone he considered a friend even though he had spent a very short amount of time with her. Which was mostly spent arguing and at each other's throats, but he felt something familiar when he saw Tayuya. He was like him an avenger seeking retribution.

He knew that she harbored strong feeling towards something that he did not know of and would do anything to achieve those goals. When looking into her eyes you could see that she was like a lost puppy looking for a home, a purpose in life other than the one she was burdened with. She was desperately trying to cling on whatever purpose she had left and make that goal her driving force in life and in turn become stronger from it like he had done.

His face morphed from the usual impassive face he had and contorted with one of hesitance and uncertainty at what he was about to do. His face quickly regained the look of calmness as he shifted his eyes towards Tayuya who was surprisingly waiting for him to make his move. Most likely wanting to find out what kind of power he had since he was still a mystery to her which would've given him an edge if he only knew what sort of techniques she had as well.

His eyes rested once again on the simple flute that resided on her hand and brought the question of whether that was her source of power. It was only logical since she brought it out, but this was all just a theory a guess since he didn't know anything about her except for her name.

Another mystery was the strange mark that was embedded on her neck that mysteriously changed her entire body structure and also gave her a huge boost of power. One thing was for sure though her strength had definitely increased from the first-hand experience form that nasty punch he took a few moments ago.

Naruto picked up minute signs of her trembling from either fear or anger he wasn't too sure, but what he did know was that she knew that this battle would end in someone's demise. Naruto slowly began to unbutton his black cape and gently laid it on the floor.

He began to calm his mind from the impending battle and once again rested his bright blue eyes on her demonic yellow eyes and offered her a chance to retreat.

Naruto noticed that Tayuya was trembling from either fear or anger he wasn't sure but what he did know was that she knew this was going to be a battle to the very end.

"Tayuya-san listen carefully to my offer and try to be realistic and not let your stubbornness cloud your judgment. If you give me the information that I have been asking since the very beginning I will ensure your survival and let you walk out of here with your life". His eyes narrowed when his opponent merely began to laugh at his constant speeches trying to make her talk.

Tayuya meanwhile began to laugh at his little attempts of making her talk which by now he would know it wouldn't work on her no matter what he said. "Are you honestly still asking me to tell you my fucking reason for following you? Are you so naïve to ask your opponents when you're about to die", she spit at the ground at the way she thought he carried himself. "Don't think to highly of yourself you bastard you're nothing but Konoha trash.

Just another hopeless retard thinking he will bring peace to the world with just his words. Who do you think you are? You fucking make me sick with all that bullshit of not wanting to hurt me. Open your eyes you heartless freak and try to understand your situation right now".

"Clearly you have no fucking chance of winning and you still feel the need to warn me about not fighting you. You give me headaches with all your annoying fucking speeches just stay fucking silent like you were before I liked you better that way". She growled out through clenched teeth at the thought of someone commanding her to surrender.

On the opposite side Naruto merely stood expressionless at her response, but the air around him became even tenser than before affecting the whole village from the intense power he was producing.

Sensing that something was wrong the villagers curiously ran outside to find out what was creating that horrible power that they all felt. It made breathing nearly impossible when standing beside the two figures in front of them that stood a good distance away from each other.

The one on the left was faintly glowing bright blue as his whole body rippled with intense power that the electricity was conducting as it flowed through his system charging him entirely. Directly opposite of him stood a young girl that had unnatural horns protruding from her scalp and terrifying demonic yellow eyes surrounded by an ominous dark energy that screamed death and negativity.

Naruto calmly walked towards Tayuya who was patiently standing as each step he took towards her she took several steps back not wanting to fight him head on. She knew she would lose since she wasn't really a close range fighter. Her specialty was more long range combat thanks to her flute.

Naruto continued to walk his gaze unwavering, "Tayuya your stubbornness will get you killed, but since you refuse to give me what I want then you're useless to me". He coldly stated and quickly disappeared from sight and reappeared right in front of her mercilessly delivering an earth shattering punch right to her face sending her flying through several houses and finally landing just outside the village surrounded by brush and trees from the forest.

She had no time to recover as her eyes widened when he appeared above her and delivered and earth shattering blow hoping to the end the match quickly not wanting to bring any more attention towards himself. However he was sorely disappointed when the only thing beneath his fist was a shattered log. His fist had collided with the empty ground devastating the surrounding area with the amount of power his blow had.

Tayuya reappeared a couple yards away from where Naruto had punched the ground and thought_, __**'Demonic flute: Illusionary Warriors Manipulating Melody'. **_Three Doki appeared and immediately bolted towards the location their master had commanded.

Naruto slowly brought his electric infused arm from the ground and sensed where Tayuya had gone too. "Tayuya there's no point in hiding from me you should just surrender to me since your just prolonging your inevitable death", he stated to no one in particular. He felt other chakra sources coming straight at him and wondered who could they be when suddenly three monstrous figures appeared before him.

He was about to question them, but was unable since they quickly attacked him and landed several hits on him sending him crashing through several trees when finally coming to a stop near a huge tree. He was slow to get up from the blow feeling terrible pain around his chest most likely cracking a few ribs from the blow.

He grimaced in pain as he struggled to stand up, but quickly adjusted to the pain and calmly began to search where Tayuya had moved and was most likely controlling those monstrous creatures to fight for her. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate on her chakra signature when he finally locked into it a couple of yards away, but he also sensed those monsters fast approaching him.

He quickly snapped opened his eyes and instead of waiting for them decided to confront them directly. He disappeared in a flash of light and blazed through the forest heading straight to where he felt the monsters approaching. He finally arrived and immediately went for the killing blow delivering a sharp electrified thrust directly into the monsters heart. He was slightly confused when his blow didn't even phase the huge monster at all and merely grabbed his arms and began to forcefully remove it.

The huge monster with the club elbowed him on his back sending him crashing to the earth resulting in a huge crater engraved into the ground. Even though Naruto was hit so hard it appeared to have caused no physical damage. _'Strange the monster didn't die even though I hit him directly in the heart. That could only mean one thing and that is that these creatures are not alive and are merely a very good genjutsu. I simply have to go to the one who's controlling them and kill them'._

He mentally nodded with the plan and nonchalantly rose up from the ground and coldly gazed towards the creatures before him standing motionless waiting for him to make a move. He decided he might as well get the monsters out of the way so that he can go deal with Tayuya personally without any interruptions.

He calmly raised his arms towards the sky resulting in a huge lightning bolt striking his body quickly enveloping him with dangerous levels of pure lightning. Naruto struggled a bit from the amount of power that was coursing through him, but still managed to control his body. He quickly brought his arms down and coldly whispered_**, "Ten no Sabaki"**_ (Heaven's Judgment).

As soon as the words left his mouth a huge lightning bolt scorched the earth and instantly vaporized the unknowingly three monsters and the surrounding earth as well making a huge crater in the earth and uprooting countless trees in the vicinity.

Naruto struggled to keep standing upright quickly failing as he fell on his knees breathing heavily since that was one of his most powerful attacks he had created when he fought Itachi. That move took almost everything he had, but he felt it was necessary to permanently get rid of those things Tayuya had summoned.

He violently began to start coughing out blood at the tremendous amount of power he had unleashed and his body was not yet used to having to exert so much electricity from his body, but he had to admit it was certainly devastating to his enemies.

He slowly regained his power back and began to breath normally, but still felt the pain of the attack, but at least he knew that those monsters were gone for good and all that was left was to go get Tayuya.

He quickly disappeared from sight and bolted straight for Tayuya quickly wanting to reach her not wanting to risk her recovering and summoning more of those monsters. Which he did not like that result in having to battle even more of those monsters that took nearly everything he had to destroy them.

Meanwhile Tayuya was cursing up a storm from having her Doki destroyed for the first time in her life since she had discovered them and was seriously contemplating whether or not she should run away. She had practically already lost the fight even though she wasn't injured at all, but without her Doki she was practically a sitting duck just waiting to be killed. So she did what any sane person without a chance of winning the battle would do. She bolted towards the base, but was quickly cut off by a serious Naruto that appeared in front of her blocking her escape.

Naruto coldly glared into Tayuya's annoyed face clearly not pleased with how the battle had turned out for her. "Tayuya-san I once again offer you the chance to redeem yourself and be spared from your impending death. All you have to tell me is who exactly assigned you to watch over me since I pretty much know it wasn't on your own free will was it".

He threatened her hoping she would finally agree with his offer and not be forced to kill her since she reminded him a lot of Maki and it felt like it would be killing a good friend.

Tayuya's face contorted into anger at once again being talked down to like she was a fucking child. It made her feel worthless that she was powerless to do anything and was basically negotiating with this Konoha shinobi over if she lived or died. It pissed her off beyond reason since it reminded her of the tragic day that happened in her village.

Tayuya forcefully bit into her lip from the frustration she was feeling as a little bit of blood came streaking down her lips. She continued to gaze with her demonic yellow eyes that would scare the living crap out of anyone who happened to see her in this state. Naruto didn't even pay any mind at her form which annoyed the crap out of her that this person was always so calm and collected. It kind of reminded her of someone else that lived in the base.

She gripped her flute tighter as her anger was steadily rising inside her ready to burst out any moment. "What the fuck is your problem you fucking emotionless piece of shit. Do you honestly think even for a second I would give a scumbag like you my time of day? She thrust her hand out and gave him the finger right to his face.

"Fuck off and save your preaches to someone who cares you dickless bastard. I will never submit to you do you fucking hear me I will never ever fucking submit to you as long as I am alive. Now fucking get that through your damn skull and fuck off you pussy". She seethed in anger at the way Naruto was still as impassive as every merely looking at her with those blue eyes of his.

Naruto gently raised his head to the darkened sky as it began to pour rain drenching them both as he began to speak. "You know Tayuya-san me and you are a lot alike since I too lost everything and all this time had always been alone constantly trying to find a purpose in this world".

Tayuya flinched at how morbid Naruto's voice was and was astounded that he had seen right through her and was intrigued to what had made him like this. She felt this void to know what made him into the emotionless person he is now.

Naruto continued to gaze at the darkened sky and cracked a rare smile. "But you know Tayuya I managed to find a few people that honestly came to care for me even though I was always causing trouble and begging for attention. Even with all that I still feel a great emptiness inside me that reminds me that I will always be alone in the end". He whispered as the pouring rain masked his tears that streaked down his face.

He slowly brought his head down and gazed towards Tayuya who was saddened from what she was hearing from this strange young boy and it truly made her feel that he was right all along, she was just like him.

"You know Tayuya-san I don't particularly have any sort of attachment towards Konoha like you would imagine. The only reason I feel this sense of responsibility in staying is because of the few great friends I made back home. That reason alone is the cause that I wear this headband", as he tapped the dense metal of his forehead that marked him as a shinobi from Konoha.

Tayuya was confused from the revelation this stranger was revealing to her and felt guilty for calling him all those names without even thinking of the repercussions that they probably had on him. She witnessed Naruto for the first time show any sort of emotion as he began to smile brightly as he whispered so that only she could hear.

"You know Tayuya I honestly thought me and you were very much alike when I first met you and the way you handled yourself with the upmost confidence was truly a sight to see". When I first laid my eyes on you Tayuya I honestly thought you were the most beautiful thing I had seen".

Tayuya could not believe what she was hearing was this perhaps a confession? "What do you mean I'm beautiful? Just look at me I'm a fucking monster are you sick in the head or something? She cursed at him and fought to contain her blush that was fortunately covered under her brown skin.

Naruto lost his gentle smile and returned to his normal emotionless self as he slowly walked towards her. "Like I said before Tayuya-san me and you are a lot alike both monsters alone in this world looking for a purpose in our unforgiving lives".

Tayuya was about to question what he meant by those words, but didn't have a chance when she saw Naruto vanish and reappear in front of her. He harshly grabbed her throat and forcefully brought her down hard making a huge crater from the force of the impact. Few sparks ran through the now unconscious Tayuya who was quickly transforming back into her normal self and was now breathing normally.

Naruto slowly walked towards her sleeping form and stood over her impassively looking at her gentle features and he knew this moment would haunt him for the rest of his life, but felt it had to be done.

He gathered an enormous amount of energy and focused it entirely on his right hand. He straightened his hand and was about to strike her heart killing her instantly without having to suffer. However he was interrupted when he felt a very strong power quickly approaching him and somehow he managed to see the lightning fast kick of his mysterious opponent and swiftly dodged it. Naruto quickly back flipped back not sure what his new opponent was capable of.

Naruto's eyes rested on a pale white figure standing across from him watching him closely.

Kimimaro was impassively gazing towards the boy, _'Strange that was my fastest attack and he somehow managed to dodge it with ease. It seems I have underestimated his ability and need to correct my mistake'. _Kimimaro merely walked towards the sleeping form of Tayuya and effortlessly hoisted her up and vanished into thin air leaving Naruto in the silence of the darkness.

Naruto was lost in thought over who he was and how he managed to dodge his attack, _'How in the hell did I manage to avoid his attack? It was like I had seen it before it happened and my body moved precisely out of the way and avoided a potential lethal attack'._ He couldn't come up with anything logical so decided to figure it out later and get back to the hotel before the guards came here.

He calmly began to walk back towards the village as his eyes managed to catch a glimpse of something pointy protruding from the freshly pounded ground and was surprised to discover it was Tayuya's flute. He crouched down and retrieved it examining it and to him it seemed to be a normal flute that you could find at any store except this one had some sort of engraving etched into it.

The engraving read, _'Tayu'_, which confused him since it was missing a few letters from Tayuya's name. Knowing he wasn't going to figure it out anytime soon safely put the delicate flute in his front pocket and continued walking to the village. He tensed when he felt another power and was about to prepare for another fight, but quickly relaxed when he saw it was just Itachi. He was about to greet him, but suddenly lost all power in his legs and fell face first into the cold hard ground.

Itachi saw this and quickly dashed towards his body and sighed in relief since he had simply gone to sleep. He crouched down and quickly picked up his body and vanished to his room.

(1 day later)

(Location Naruto's Hotel room)

Naruto slowly awakened and was greeted with uncomfortable pain coming from his chest and remembered he had been hit by those monsters breaking a few ribs. He slowly sat up and looked to his left and saw his sensei resting in the corner of his room like he had done just a couple of hours ago with Tayuya. He flinched when seeing his Sharingan eyes glaring straight at him and knew that his sensei was not pleased whatsoever.

"Naruto-kun may I ask what went through your mind when you decided to fight in the middle of the village at night? Were you perhaps purposefully trying to get discovered? If that is the reason then I am very disappointed in you Naruto-kun".

Naruto slowly waked towards the now fixed window and looked at the place where he was just a couple of hours ago. "Itachi-sensei did you see everything that happened between us? He asked wanting to find out if he knew about it.

Itachi just nodded, "I know that you know about the Kyuubi Naruto-kun, but don't worry I won't tell anyone about it just keep your mouth shut and we won't have any problems".

Naruto sighed clearly relieved that he could be able to trust someone with his secret. Itachi looked towards Naruto, "Can you tell me how you managed to find out about it Naruto-kun", he asked interested in how he came to realize that he had the Kyuubi inside of him.

Naruto continued staring at the spot he had been in, "I actually found out when I fought you Itachi-sensei, but for the life of me I couldn't reach for the extra power when I needed it. I mean I felt it, but at the same time it was like it wasn't even there in the first place", he questioned.

Naruto took the silence from Itachi as a sign that he was done talking, but felt the need to ask one more. "Hey Itachi-sensei did you manage to see the person that appeared at the end? He asked intrigued as to who he was and how he was able to move so fast.

Itachi nodded, "Yes I saw him, but I do not know who he was or what he was doing there in the first place. May I ask how you were able to dodge his attack Naruto-kun".

Naruto pointed to his eyes, "I was able to somehow see him Itachi-sensei".

Itachi narrowed his eyes at his explanation, "Can you describe to me how it felt".

Naruto nodded, "It was like I had seen the future somehow and my body instinctively moved on its own avoiding the hit and perhaps saving my life".

Itachi kept his expressionless face, but couldn't help but be intrigued over this new development. He stood up from his place and motioned for Naruto to stand in front of him, "Alright Naruto-kun try and focus your chakra into your eyes and tell me what you see".

Naruto was confused at what he meant, but did what he was told and funneled his chakra into his eyes and was shocked at how clearer the world was and also how slow it moved. "Wow Itachi-sensei what did you do to me I can see perfectly now and I can also see your Chakra flow how is that even possible". He asked still amazed at what he was seeing still believing Itachi had done something to him.

Itachi merely continued to gaze towards his eyes that instead of his normal crystal blue color were now replaced with the recognizable sharingan with two tomoe on each eye placing him at level two. "Naruto-kun turn your sharingan off'.

Naruto looked beyond confused, "What do you mean turn my sharingan off Itachi sensei? I'm not like you I don't have one. Didn't you do something to me to be able to see like this? He asked greatly confused at the happening event.

Itachi negatively nodded and retrieved a mirror from Naruto's backpack and brought it up to his face revealing to him his sharingan eyes for the first time. "W-what t-the h-hell did you do to me Itachi-sensei? Did you give me these eyes or what?

Itachi negatively nodded once again, "I did not give you those eyes Naruto-kun you somehow managed to unlock them while you were fighting that girl. That is the reason why you managed to avoid the enemies attack. It was because of your sharingan letting you see his movements perfectly".

Naruto continued watching fascinated by his eyes, "How did I get them Itachi-sensei I'm not an Uchiha am I? He asked not sure what to believe anymore.

Itachi merely gazed at him not sure what exactly happened that he managed to unlock the sharingan, "No Naruto-kun I don't think you are a Uchiha, but when seeing your sharingan I am not sure how reliable that statement is since only Uchiha unlock the Doujutsu".

Naruto just nodded, "Awesome I always wanted one ever since I saw it on Maki-chan and you".

Itachi silently went back to sit down, "Naruto-kun why were you fighting that female in the forest what was your goal in doing this?

Naruto was brought out of his fascination as he shifted his now sharingan eyes towards Itachi's own making him realize exactly how menacing they could be when used against you.

"I caught her following me in the village and managed to capture her. I tried to interrogate her into giving me the location of her leader, but unfortunately she was a stubborn one". He grumbled at his failure on getting anything useful from her.

Itachi stared impassively at the information he was receiving, "So what do you think this "leader" wants with you Naruto-kun?

Naruto shifted his gaze towards the window as his sharingan reflected back to him making him smile at his new found ability, "I don't know Itachi-sensei, but I plan to find out", as he gently touched the flute in his pocket reminding him of her.

(Location Unknown base deep underground)

A pale man sat in his throne, "Kukukukuku well done Kimimaro you did well in bringing me Tayuya back to me safely. I still have many plans for her in the future, now did you get a sense of our friend that was fighting her". He asked curious to find out more about this mysterious boy.

Kimimaro merely nodded, "Yes Orochimaru-sama that boy is very interesting indeed and if I hadn't gotten there in time he would've definitely killed Tayuya even though he admitted he liked her. Something surprising happened also the boy managed to avoid one of my fastest attacks like it was nothing. It seems that he is hiding something from us or he just got very lucky". He declared in his monotone voice to his master.

Orochimaru was excited with the information and was truly shocked that the boy had managed to avoid Kimimaro's attack so easily. "Excellent work as always Kimimaro you never fail to meet my expectations. Now go take Tayuya to Kabuto and tell him to make sure she is fully recovered". Kimimaro just nodded and took Tayuya's sleeping body to the infirmary.

Orochimaru just sat there on his throne as his yellow snake like eyes pierced through the darkness of the hideout. "Kukukuku this boy truly intrigues me to no end I must try and make him one of us he has so much potential hidden inside him it is truly marvelous", he began to laugh at this new gem he had found.


	12. Sickness

_**A/N: hello there guys I bring you another chapter for your reading pleasure. This might sound like I'm complaining but here me out. I encourage you to REVIEW my story please I want to know how you feel about my story. I need to know if you enjoy my story. I am quickly becoming uninspired to write anymore if no one will share their thoughts with me. So if any of you care about the continuation of the story PLEASE REVIEW!**_

_**P.S: I have already planned to begin the cannon storyline as soon as this ark ends which should be on the next chapter, but that all depends on you guys.**_

(1 day later)

(Location Naruto's Hotel Room)

The darkness of the night continued to sweep throughout the village streets. Naruto's eyes absentmindedly gazed towards the empty ceiling for no logical reason except that he was bored. Throughout the day he had been constantly thinking back to the events that had taken place two days ago. One specific moment was when Tayuya was sleeping peacefully as if the world were complete, but in reality she was about to be killed by none other than him.

That image would be forever engraved into his mind and soul constantly torturing him. Even though he was about to kill her he knew that Tayuya was just doing her job as a shinobi and not give out any secrets that could potentially lead towards the destruction of her village. This fact was the only thing that justified what he was about to do, but still in his heart he knew it was wrong. At first it was his mission to finish what he had started, but as time went by it started to evolve past that it started to become personal.

He slowly raised his slender arms as his gaze lingered on them and for the very first time questioned why exactly he was chosen to be sent on this mission. To him it didn't even feel like a mission at all since all he had done was get into pointless fights. Well they weren't all pointless since they were necessary for his development and growth, but that wasn't really a mission now was it?

His quick mind theorized that maybe the whole point of the mission all along was to get stronger and experience what a real battle was like. Maybe that's why the council had decided to send him to this unknown place far away from home. Or maybe he was just thinking too much into it and the only reason they had sent him was to get killed and never return.

His bright blue eyes rested on his hands sparking from the electricity he was feeding them and was surprised at how empty he felt. He honestly missed having the company of his friends and surprisingly the stranger that was resting on his small bed a couple of days ago.

He couldn't help but smile when remembering how peaceful Tayuya looked when resting on his bed without a care in the world. Even though it was just for a short time he still felt that she was one of his friends and they understood each other's pain. He would absolutely figure out where exactly the pale young man had taken her and what her leader was planning by making her follow him.

His hand made its way towards his front pocket and gently gripped the flute that she had been using and brought it up for a closer inspection. Since the time he had found it he really hadn't done a thorough job and the potential clues he might find could lead him to her location.

He carefully inspected the small flute in his hands and confirmed what he thought before that this was just an ordinary flute. The only difference between this one and the ones you could buy at the store though it was minor was that this particular flute was the name that was engraved on the center of it.

He brought his fingers towards the flute and slowly traced over the engraving that ready _'Tayu'_. He was curious to find out who exactly this person was and where Tayuya had gotten this flute.

He brought his fingers towards the center and traced over the several holes of the flute and decided to try out for himself. He put his mouth where you would blow, but paused for a second when realizing that Tayuya had played this as well. He was a bit anxious on putting his mouth where Tayuya's had been, but decided to go for it.

He gently laid his mouth on it and began to blow guessing it would lead to some music being played, but was confused when absolutely nothing came from it not even air. He came up with the conclusion that perhaps she was the only one capable of using the flute and brought the question once again of where exactly she had gotten this from.

He inspected it further and noticed that the flute looked to be aged and questioned her motive in still using this old flute. She could've easily have gotten a new one since they were relatively cheap at most stores. All these questions lingered through his mind all of them being left unanswered for the moment.

He carefully stored the flute back in his pocket and slowly sat up gazing towards the spot where his sensei was sitting down just yesterday. When they finished having their little conversation his sensei decided to leave since he really wasn't supposed to be involved in the mission in the first place. He advised him to lay low for a while and wait for Jiraiya to come back and tell him what to do next.

He honestly didn't like the idea of staying trapped inside this hotel room until who knows when that old man would come back from who knows where he traveled. Before he left Itachi forbid him from using any of his powers more specifically his electricity and when he asked for a reason to his he simply answered. _'Don't worry about it and just rest those powers of yours or it could potentially kill you if overused'_.

Of course he didn't understand what he meant that it could kill him I mean sure he had coughed out some blood before but that was all part of the battle right. He silently mused on the topic of him not being able to use his powers until Jiraiya came back. Which was a pain in the ass since the perverted old man never said when he was coming back for him.

He sighed in frustration and slowly sat up and walked over to the spot where Tayuya had fallen as the blood was still there waiting to be wiped off the floor. He crouched down and slowly dragged his fingers across the dried blood and inspected it further. '_I guess us monsters share the same blood as normal people huh?'_ he thought and clenched his fist at the anger he was experiencing.

He knew that whoever had taken her must have been a friend or an ally at least for them to go out of there way and save her from his attack. What he didn't know was if she was in it by force or if she had volunteered into their group and the question still lingered as to who their leader was.

He guessed that he was probably an older gentleman most likely enormously strong and maybe had something over Tayuya that would make her stay there.

He gazed towards his blood covered fist and thought, '_Maybe she was right and I'm just being a naïve child believing that she had a choice. The most logical reason for her being there might be for her own benefit and she simply didn't have anywhere else to go'. _Even though he had always been alone for a long time he had always had some sort of shelter when he acquired his new apartment from the old man.

Meanwhile Tayuya was all alone this whole time simply going forward on her desire to avenge whatever she had hidden deep inside her heart and had ran into this strange leader that most likely promised her power and a home she would be accepted in.

He nodded at his conclusion, _'Yes that theory is most likely correct as that would explain that strange mark that had covered her entire body and changed her giving her an enormous power boost when she activated it'._

He suddenly began to violently cough into his right hand for several moments as he tried to catch his breath and calm down. Once stopping with his coughing fit glanced at his hands and wondered whether that blood was his own or was it Tayuya's.

He quietly made his way towards the small bathroom that was provided by his room and switched the light on and rested his eyes on the small mirror in his bathroom. He quickly channeled chakra towards his eyes like Itachi had taught him as they morphed into the Doujutsu known as the sharingan. If you were to look at him just by his eyes you would immediately think he was an uchiha. When he switched them on it made him feel complete with himself.

Even though he wasn't sure how he acquired them it felt as though he was meant to have them all along. Maybe these eyes were part of the gift that his mother had left him like his electricity. To him it didn't matter how he had acquired them all he knew was that they would make him stronger in the long run and that's all that mattered to him.

He still needed to train with them to be able to turn them on instantaneously without having to funnel chakra to them like Itachi had told him. Thankfully Itachi told him that he would properly train him on how to utilize them in every possible situation once he was done with his mission.

His skin had become to turn white pale from the lack of sunlight from the outside world. His hair which was once a very bright yellow color was now fading and turning a deathly white. He slowly raised both his arms and carefully touched his face and gasped at how cold it had become over the last several days. He was admittedly a bit worried about the very dramatic changes that were occurring with him.

Deciding to take a quick shower began to undress. He turned the shower on and stepped inside hoping a nice shower would calm him down and make him relax. As soon as the cold water hit him he felt an unbelievable relief at the temperature and could honestly say that he liked cold better than hot. I guess it suited him more he supposed.

Once feeling he had been there enough slowly stepped out and gently dried himself off with the towel and changed back into his normal clothes. As soon as finished changing he felt this sudden weakness in his body once again. He decided to blame it on the battle that he had just fought through a couple of days ago.

He slowly dragged himself towards his bed and decided the reasons for his tiredness were sleep related. So he gently laid himself on his comfortable bed and quickly let the sleep embrace him.

(Same time)

(Orochimaru's Hideout)

The pale man known as Orochimaru sat silently in his throne like chair and was patiently waiting for Tayuya to awaken form her slumber. So that she could possibly tell him more about the intriguing young man that she had fought.

Unfortunately he had to wait a couple more days before she would be fully recovered. Kabuto had made it clear that if it were not for Kimimaro coming in at the right time Tayuya would no longer be on this earth if Naruto had delivered the final blow. This of course only caused him to become even more intrigued with the young man wanting to find out what exactly he was.

His golden snake like eyes illuminated throughout the darkness of the room he occupied and was thinking of a plan to try and bring this Naruto person into his clutches and be a potential ally for him. Of course he already had several members that were willing to die for him for the promise of power and a place to be accepted in, but he still needed higher caliber shinobi like Naruto and Kimimaro for example.

He subtly glanced towards his disciple as he impassively stood there like a statue with cold dead eyes gazing towards who knows where. He could never quite understand what exactly he was thinking, but not that he needed to know since he knew that Kimimaro was probably his most loyal of subordinates behind Kabuto of course.

He could honestly admit that if he ever had to fight with his disciple he would have his hands full trying to take him out. Since he was gifted with a very unique bloodline limit making him virtually indestructible. That was the reason he had chosen Kimimaro to become his next vessel in the future, but he still had plenty of time before that was needed so he wasn't in any particular rush.

He was quickly brought out of his mind set when he saw that Kabuto was signaling for him to follow most likely to report on Tayuya's current condition Since it had been almost two full days since she was brought in for treatment.

He slowly rose from his throne and silently walked over to where Kabuto was busily looking down on his clipboard that most likely contained all the medical stuff for anyone that he was currently treating.

Kabuto slowly peeked over his glasses and saw his master patiently waiting for him to begin explaining her situation to him. Kabuto merely signaled for him to follow him down the dark corridor that was only lighted by a few candles accurately hanged and hanged apart for the most efficient lighting and began to speak.

"Well Orochimaru-sama I have good news and bad news regarding her situation which do you want to hear first? He asked as they both continued down the dark hall. Orochimaru just nodded and Kabuto immediately knew what his master wanted to hear. "Well the good news is that she will recover from her injuries in relatively good time". He finished with a sigh and breathed in preparing himself to break the bad news to him.

They reached the end of the long corridor and turned right and continued there slow travel as Kabuto spoke once more. "Unfortunately when I was treating her injuries I found huge amounts of electricity in her system and was unable to extract all of it.

Therefore even if she recovers let's say tomorrow she won't be able to use any sort of jutsu for a while unless I somehow discover some way to take out the electricity faster, but at this point I don't see a solution other than rest. It was like her opponent was literally killing her from the inside with pure electricity", he finished and awaited a response from his master.

Orochimaru nodded and both continued down the long dark corridor heading towards Tayuya's room. "Kabuto can you tell me what kind of power the boy that fought Tayuya had when you were watching them". He asked intrigued to learn more about this powerful young man that had managed to defeat Tayuya relatively easy even though she had awakened for the very first time. That was a truly great accomplishment in itself to be able to beat one of his creations called the curse mark.

He had planted the curse mark on several on his subordinates, but of course he didn't force them since that would be counterproductive. It would not work unless the person had enough darkness in their heart and had willingly activated it with their own free will. While lost in thought Orochimaru was quickly brought back when Kabuto had started to explain what he had seen in the battle.

He adjusted his glasses and spoke, "Well Orochimaru-sama from what I saw from the battle was that the boy was something special and all his moves were purely Raiton which is truly troubling considering he is from Konoha".

Orochimaru slightly narrowed his eyes at his elemental affinity, "Did you see how the boy was doing his moves? Did he use any kind of hand signs for them or did he just do them without them". He asked intrigued over this new information he was getting from his second in command.

Kabuto merely readjusted his glances once again and gazed seriously towards his master. "That is the most troubling part Orochimaru-sama never did I see him even perform one hand sign for his moves. Even though one of them was extremely powerful that I myself had to move back or risk getting killed by it instantly".

Orochimaru furrowed his brows deep in thought to the mysterious that surrounded the young man named Naruto. He had never heard or seen of a kid that was able to produce high level jutsu without the aid of hand signs. Orochimaru caught that Kabuto was in deep in thought and decided to question it further. "Kabuto-kun did you perhaps see something else that is relevant to our cause?

Kabuto merely flipped a page from his clipboard and began to scribble something on them before showing it to his curious master.

Orochimaru intrigued looked down and couldn't help but stare wide eyed at what it said. With this new information he now more than ever wanted to bring this boy into their group knowing he would make a formidable ally or enemy if need be.

They finally reached Tayuya's room and quietly entered and saw her peacefully sleeping on the bed while her body was attached to many things that would monitor her well-being and alert Kabuto of any complications. The snake eyed man gazed towards Tayuya's sleeping figure and noticed that she had practically no injuries from the outside, but on the inside it was a whole other story.

He shifted his eyes towards Kabuto once again who was carefully monitoring her well-being and writing it down on his clipboard and noticed his master was watching him.

"Well Orochimaru-sama it's only a matter of time before she is well enough to awaken. Have you decided whether to pursue this child or are you just going to leave him alone? Kabuto asked interested on whether he would send Kimimaro or himself to go fetch the boy, but was surprised when just strolled over to the door and slowly opened it prepared to leave. Without even turning Orochimaru spoke confidently, "No there's no need to send you two as soon as Tayuya awakens from her slumber inform her of what she needs to do".

Kabuto nodded and went back to work trying to figure out a solution as to how he could speed up her recovery so that she could be ready to go as Orochimaru had instructed.

(1 week later)

(Naruto's Hotel Room)

Naruto was still trapped inside since he had yet to hear from Jiraiya and was honestly questioning this whole mission since he had yet to do anything mission related at all. He had to admit he didn't mind having some time off since he wasn't feeling that great this past week. He was constantly feeling light headed and was sleeping a lot, but even through all the sleeping he had done he still felt exhausted.

He lay on his soft comfortable bed and for the hundredth time glared at the empty room that he was forced to stay this whole damn time. Deciding he needed to take a shower slowly forced himself upright and dragged his feet towards the bathroom and take a much needed bath. He hadn't really had one in a few days which was beginning to irritate him since he felt sticky from all the sweating he had done while in bed. This room didn't exactly have air conditioning and during the day it would get blistering hot in here.

He looked towards the mirror once again and was disturbed by what he was becoming. There standing in the mirror was himself, but the difference was so dramatic it made him question his sanity. He looked like a shell of his former self, his hair had turned form the bright blonde hair it was before and transformed into pure white. How was that even possible? He wasn't old and that wasn't the only difference he noticed.

When he tried to funnel chakra towards his eyes to turn his sharingan on nothing would happen. The sharingan would appear but would quickly turn off as if something was blocking it. He weakly raised his arms and slowly touched his face confirming what he realized a couple of days ago something was seriously wrong with him.

For some odd reason he was at peace at the thought of being sick since he was brought up to believe that people get sick all the time. What he didn't realize was that his kind of sickness wasn't normal whatsoever.

He slowly moved away from the mirror having had enough and undressed and got into the shower once more. He bathed in the coldest water possible since that was the only thing that would bring comfort to his otherwise fatigued body. At to the question of why the coldness did that he did not know, but didn't question it any further.

A couple of minutes had passed as he slowly got out of the shower and reached for a towel to dry himself off. Once finishing drying off slowly put back his clothes and walked out of the bathroom. He walked over to his bed and laid down feeling tired once again and was about to go to sleep when he sensed a power closing in fast headed straight towards his room, but relaxed when he already knew who it was.

He lazily rested his eyes towards the large window sill in his room and was greeted with the pleasant or unpleasant appearance of non-other than Tayuya. Who took the liberty of opening the window herself and entered without permission.

She stood motionless for the longest time coldly glaring at Naruto waiting for him to say something. She was granted her wish, but was disturbed at how cold his voice sounded when talking to her.

"Why have you come here Tayuya-san? Do you honestly have a death wish or do you actually have a reason to disturb my peace". He seriously spoke not really feeling up to par.

Tayuya managed to hold back her flinch and began to walk forward clenching her fist tightly and wailing Naruto straight in the face with much less power than before. She silently gasped in surprise that she had actually hit him and didn't even seem to try and move out of the way whatsoever and simply took the punch head on.

She saw him begin to violently cough out blood and was confused that her punch would do that much damage. "He-hey you bastard I didn't even hit you that hard why are you coughing out blood? It's not like I stabbed you something are you sick? And what the hell happened to your hair? She questioned him deeply concerned and confused.

Naruto was slow to recover from his most violent coughing fit up to date and tiredly looked towards a worried Tayuya who was waiting for an answer. "Don't worry about me Tayuya-san instead worry about yourself. I can't feel any significant power left in you and I could easily finish the job I started". He fake threatened not really meaning what he was saying, but couldn't let her know that of course.

Tayuya merely scoffed at his proclamation, "Well it's your fucking fault I don't have any fucking power you shit head. What did you think that electricity wouldn't do any damage retard of course it did, but don't worry I'll get my strength back real soon you'll see". She beamed Naruto a confident smirk showing him that he didn't need to worry about her situation realizing his was much worse.

Naruto barely managed to smile and suddenly remembered that he had something that belonged to her. He reached into his front pocket and handed it back to her, "Here Tayuya-san I figured you might want this back considering it was yours to begin with". He gently placed the delicate flute into her trembling hands not believing what she was seeing.

While she was at the infirmary recovering she discovered that her most prized possession wasn't with her. So she sent Kimimaro to go search for it where she had fought thinking it would be there among the rubble, but was heartbroken when he found nothing but dirt. Now a week later here was her enemy simply giving it back to her like it was nothing.

Tayuya quickly reached for her flute and firmly grasped it from his hands and brought it up to her chest and fiercely hugged it thinking she had forever lost the only thing that her mother had given her. She honestly didn't know how she would go on without it.

Naruto saw Tayuya's eyes begin to water and figured that the flute was something truly special to her. "He-hey Tayuya-san can you perhaps tell me who Tayu is since I noticed it's engraved onto the flute", he struggled to ask gradually feeling even more exhausted from each passing second wanting to go back to sleep.

She flinched at the mention of her name but slowly walked over to Naruto's bed and sat down next to him as her eyes drifted away while gazing towards her flute. "Tayu was the name of my mother. She gave me this flute when I was merely 5 years old and at first I didn't believe that she was willing to give it away since she always seemed to love to play it whenever she had free time. I loved to listen when she played and believed that it was the most beautiful music I had heard in my short life".

She smiled and continued, "When I first got this I was the happiest I had been and immediately wanted her to teach me how to play like her, but even through all her teaching I could never get it exactly right". "Even though I failed to replicate her song and would cry in defeat she would always say that my music was my own and it was still beautiful. I was a bit skeptical on agreeing with her comment, but after some time I came to truly love my music. It made my mom happy when she heard me playing never failing to say how talented I was that I already knew how to play so beautifully".

Tayuya gently smiled at the memory of her mother, but was quickly replaced with a face of anguish. "All that changed when a bunch of missing-nin destroyed our village and raped my beautiful mother right in front of me like she was some kind of prize. They killed her once they were done and threw her out like a piece of fucking trash! She clenched her fists so hard her fingernails dug deeply inter her palms producing blood that dripped onto the bed.

He looked expressionlessly at the now trembling Tayuya. "When I catch those fuckers that planned this and destroyed my entire village and killed everyone I will fucking make them eat fucking glass and swallow it down with acid and see how they like melting from the inside like they caused to countless of innocent people". Her curse mark began to pulsate of the overwhelming darkness that was welling inside Tayuya, but did not manifest into anything since she was still injured.

She was still trembling with anger when she felt an enormous power beside her and witnessed Naruto enveloped with electricity crackling from the rage he was feeling from hearing her story.

The one thing he absolutely detested and was unforgivable was the killing of innocent people that had no reason to die so young. He would only kill if the situation demanded it, but wouldn't stoop so low as to kill innocents not even able to defend themselves.

Something audibly snapped inside Naruto as he immediately began violently coughing out even more blood that ever before and felt a tremendous pressure inside his chest. He was forced to clench his chest and grimaced in pain as his power plummeted to zero and was quickly losing consciousness. He was brought back when he heard Tayuya's horrified voice when seeing him cough out huge amounts of blood for no apparent reason.

Tayuya screamed towards Naruto who was still grabbing his chest in agonizing pain barely able to keep conscious. "Naruto-kun are you ok? What's the matter with you? Why are you coughing out blood? Did you get injured during our fight? So many questions went unanswered.

Naruto tried to calm down and breathe normally, but couldn't and simply continued to cough and felt that his chest was about to explode any second from the intense pain he was enduring.

Tayuya quickly shot up from the bed and was about to help him, but was waved off by Naruto who was forcing himself to smile even though blood was seeping through the crevices of his mouth. "Do-dontt w-wo-worry about me Tayuya I am fi…." he was unable to finish his sentence quickly falling towards the bed and appeared to stop breathing altogether.

Tayuya began to hyperventilate and desperately tried to revive him, but was unsuccessful as Naruto still laid on the bed motionless his electric cloak all but gone. She forcefully grabbed him and picked him up and bolted out the window towards the only place she knew would save Naruto.

She began to weep at the thought of losing him the only person she had told her story. "P-please don't die on me Naruto-kun your strong hell you're the strongest person I have ever fought so you can't die from this your hear me". She reassured herself, but on the inside she was torn at not knowing what would happen to him.

A couple minutes later she had arrived to the secret base navigating through the dark hallways having memorized the entire layout of the base. She darted towards Kabuto's infirmary when she was confronted by Orochimaru himself.

Orochimaru looked troubled at what could've made the always confident Tayuya look so vulnerable like she seemed right now, but quickly understood when he saw the boy on her back. "Explain to me what happened, why is the boy here? Did he agree to our plan? He questioned a bit annoyed that he wasn't informed of this, but quickly changed his train of thought when seeing Tayuya begin trembling once more and whispered so low he was barely able to hear. "He-he is dyeing", her tone deathly afraid of the words she had said.

Those words brought Orochimaru back and was confused at what could have caused this to this strong boy and didn't hesitate even a single moment and signaled for Kabuto to come.

Kabuto immediately appeared beside him ready for his orders, "What is it Orochimaru-sama? He followed Orochimaru gaze and quickly understood the situation. He quickly retrieved his body from Tayuya's back and disappeared to the infirmary.

(3 hours later)

(Location Orochimaru's base)

Orochimaru and Tayuya were patiently waiting outside the infirmary waiting for Kabuto to finish and tell them what exactly was wrong with the boy.

Kabuto slowly came out of the room and looked extremely pale from using most of his chakra and try to save Naruto. He looked towards Orochimaru and gave his diagnosis, "Well Orochimaru-sama I'm going to tell you the truth it doesn't look good for the boy his whole nervous system is shot to hell. It appears as if his own powers had completely rewired his entire chakra system making him suffer chakra poising from his own chakra".

Orochimaru knew how serious chakra poisoning was having no real cure if you were diagnosed with it. "Will he make it Kabuto-san?, a simple but hard question to swallow.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses and seriously answered, "I am afraid that he will not make it through the night Orochimaru-sama". This statement angered Tayuya beyond breaking point as she gripped Kabuto's jacket and began to shake him.

"What do you mean he won't fucking make it can't you fucking fix him? I mean come on you're a fucking doctor for Christ sake I thought you were the best out there! She screamed in denial at what his diagnosis had told her.

Kabuto merely pushed her off and explained himself, "I am deeply sorry Tayuya-san there is nothing I can do. His whole nervous system has been cut off making it almost impossible to save him. The only thing that is keeping him alive is a strange electric cloak covering his entire body, but even with that I'm not too sure he will make it past the night". He coldly stated forcing Tayuya to accept the reality of the situation.

Tayuya grimly nodded, "Can I at least see him? She pleaded with Kabuto which he granted. "He is sleeping right now, but I warn you don't touch him or the electric around him will electrocute you understand". He warned her since he had been electrocuted himself trying to examine him closer.

The three of them entered the morbid room and saw Naruto lying peacefully on the bed and as Kabuto had stated was surrounded by a thin veil of electricity.

Tayuya slowly approached him and smiled when seeing his gentle face. She slowly reached her arms towards his face and tried to touch him, but was given a painful reminder of the consequences.

Kabuto appeared to write something on his clipboard and didn't even look up to tell Tayuya he was right, "I told you Tayuya-san, but I feel you need some reminding. Don't touch him or you will be shocked understand?

Tayuya didn't even register his voice and simply gazed towards her hand which had become numb from the electricity. She was deeply saddened that she wasn't able to somehow penetrate it.

All of them were shocked when his shield suddenly disappeared from around his body, but quickly came to realization that losing his only defense meant that he had died.

Of all three in the room the only one that even remotely seem to care about his death was Tayuya who had slung her body over his and was desperately trying to find some sort of sign that he was alive, but found none whatsoever.

Orochimaru merely turned around and whispered towards Kabuto, "Kabuto-kun prepare the body for some tests to find out what exactly was going on inside of him".

They were about to exit the room when they heard Tayuya shout, "He-hey he's alive I can hear a heartbeat! She stuttered not believing what she was hearing. They all had to shield their eyes when a huge bright light erupted from Naruto's body engulfing the entire room with light. The only differences that changed were his breathing had returned to normal, but his hair surprisingly stayed a bright white color. His electricity had returned, but somehow looked stronger than before making it impossible to injure him. Orochimaru was deeply confused when he caught a glimpse of a strange seal that had appeared all around his body, but pushed that detail aside and marveled at his power.


	13. The death of a friend

_**A/N: Welcome reader I bring you another chapter and this will be the final one unless I get some more reviews. I know I may sound selfish wanting reviews for my story, but I feel that if I don't ask for them I won't get them. All I want is you honest opinion on what you think about my creation and perhaps give me ideas on what to write for the future of the story if it has one. It all depends on you so enjoy this chapter.**_

_**Ps: this marks the end of this ark and will go into a time skip soon if you review.**_

(1 week later)

(Location Orochimaru's hidden base)

Another long week had gone by in the village of Otogakure since Naruto had been brought into the hidden base by Tayuya when he was in near death like state. Currently the room where Naruto resided in was dead silent and the only sound came from the machines that were constantly monitoring his vital signs and would quickly alert Kabuto if anything were to happen to his patient.

Tayuya was also with him in the room looking rather depressed as she sat there in the small chair. This was her routine for the past week or so ever since Naruto was brought in. Tayuya slowly brought her lifeless eyes over the place where Naruto was sleeping and had to admit that she doubted whether or not Naruto would ever awaken.

She even asked Kabuto while he was busy checking on Naruto if he would ever wake up and his brief answer was_, 'I don't know if he will Tayuya. We just have to be more patient and hopefully that patience will pay off and he will awaken soon'. _He tried to reassure her, but she knew that it was just false hope. From the way Kabuto was purposely avoiding direct eye contact with her, but she didn't have the energy to argue with him since it wouldn't help Naruto's situation if she fought with the doctor.

Her gaze shifted back towards her hands and pondered what exactly was her purpose in all this, why was she the one in this situation. Why wasn't she able to do something and somehow save him from this suffering? Why did she feel attached to this boy that she had only met a week ago? Was it because he was strong or was it because he understood her pain was that perhaps the sole reason of her admiration towards him.

All these questions lingered through the silent room as she clenched her fists in frustration of not being able to help him when he needed it the most. Tayuya unclenched her fists and relaxed and once again peeked at Naruto resting seemingly at peace with the world around him. His electric shield stronger than ever was the only thing enveloping his body not allowing anything to get near him or risk being shocked.

She slowly reached for her flute and thoughtfully gazed at what seemed would be gone from her life forever. She honestly didn't know what she would do if she didn't have this in her life. She carefully brought the aged flute up to her mouth and gently laid her moist lips and began to play her music.

Her music began to echo and bounce around the room making it sound like it was a concert playing. One which had only a single audience member in attendance and that member was asleep to even be able to enjoy it thoroughly. She continued playing her flute as her Doki began to appear and neared her noticing how downtrodden she looked. So they started doing what they did when she was just a child and started dancing to her music. Tayuya noticed them doing this and couldn't help but smile reminiscing to the good old times when they would dance for her whenever she was feeling sad. Like when the kids were being mean to her saying she was weird and ugly.

While reminiscing about the past she suddenly remembered how her mom would always begin to hum whenever she would start to play. The sound of her mother happily humming away always encouraged her to play even more which in turn made her even happier. She slowly stopped playing her flute as her Doki disappeared with it leaving Tayuya reminiscing about the past and thinking it would never be the same again.

She would never experience life with her family happily having dinner together or celebrating her birthday with her. A single tear streaked down her cheek when thinking about her beautiful smiling mother congratulating her on a happy birthday happily unwrapping her birthday presents her family had gotten her.

Finishing reminiscing carefully put her precious flute back into her pocket and stood up. She walked towards the door and took one last glance at Naruto who was still resting peacefully on the bed. She turned her head back and went through the door closing it behind her. She silently walked down the dark corridor heading towards her room.

She silently entered her room and for the most part it was a pretty plain room if you were to compare it to a normal civilian teenage girl would have. She didn't mind it that much since they moved pretty frequently back and forth between bases. So there wasn't really much she could do about it anyways.

Her room consisted of a plain single bed, a dresser for her clothes and a small bathroom. She quietly stepped towards her bed and gently grabbed a single portrait near her bed that included herself her mother and her father happily smiling in front of their house.

She gently put it down and walked towards the bed and sprawled herself against it. She was quickly beginning to fall asleep from her exhausting day she had that consisted of watching Naruto all day. Hoping he would wake up or at least show any signs of movement at all

Unfortunately it didn't happen today either, but she reassured herself that it was just a matter of time before he woke up and all she needed to have was faith and patience. It was quite late into the night shifting her eyes towards the digital clock that rested besides her bed reading, _'2:00 am'. _

'_Damn it why am I still awake? I should be resting for tomorrow which I'm sure will be another long day'_. She mentally cursed herself as she lay silently gazing towards the empty ceiling. Since it didn't appear she would go back to sleep decided to go check on Naruto and see if he had gotten any better.

She hurriedly put her shoes on and quietly rounded the corner heading straight for Naruto's room, but was stopped cold on her heels when her eyes came in contact with something on the very far end of the hall terrifying her like none other. Demonic red looking eyes pierced right through the dark hallways and where centered right on her.

She desperately tried to move away, but for the life of her couldn't move a single muscle. She silently stood frozen as the figure continued to gaze at her with those demonic looking eyes that seemed to be studying her. For what the reason was she did not yet know.

Even though the fear was overpowering her she willed her mouth to speak and try to make a conversation and potentially find out who this person was and how he had managed to get into the base which was near impenetrable if you didn't know where to look at.

She managed to croak out her words from her dry mouth and asked a very simple question, "Who are you? And why are you here? Tayuya felt even more uncomfortable than before since the figure merely continued to watch her seemingly unaware of her question.

She began to rack her brain at how in the world Orochimaru could let this unknown intruder inside his base and began to question her sanity if any of this was actually happening to her. Tayuya began to get agitated at the way the unknown stranger seemed to be ignoring her and one thing she absolutely detested was being ignored.

"Hey you fucking retard are you deaf or what? I asked you a question what the fuck do you want? And how in the hell did you get inside here! She yelled and fiercely glared back towards the stranger seemingly losing all the fear she had just a moment ago.

The shadow in the dark seemed to ignore her outburst and continued to gaze at her when he finally closed his eyes and reopened them lacking the demonic looking eyes. "Well at least I know you're okay Tayuya from the way you still have that dirty mouth of yours". He unnoticeably smirked and simply walked towards Tayuya who stood unmoving not registering what he had just told her.

Tayuya meanwhile was a bit shocked at the way this stranger was having a conversation with her like they had known each other before or something. "Hey why in the hell are you talking to me like you're my best friend or something? And don't fucking walk towar…". Her sentence was cut off when she felt the strangers' hand covering her mouth preventing her from finishing her outburst. The figure quietly whispered into her ears.

"Be quiet Tayuya we don't want to wake the whole damn village with your ear wrenching howl that you call a voice now do we".

Tayuya stood wide eyed upon realizing who the person was that was shutting her mouth and began to faintly blush a little from the contact. It of course went unnoticed in the darkness which she was thankful for since she didn't want him to find out about it.

Naruto slowly removed his hand from her mouth when seeing that she finally understood the situation, but was blindsided with a fierce punch straight to the face sending him flying back a few feet away. Naruto quickly stood up and rubbed his cheek where he had been rudely hit.

"Damn Tayuya the least you could do was it don't know… not hit me. You do realize I just recovered not even a couple minutes ago and here you are punching me straight in the face really shows how much you care at my wellbeing". Naruto muttered under his breath as his eyes adjusted in the darkness and quickly regretted his words when he saw her begin to breakdown and fall to her knees covering her face in shame.

In between sobs Naruto could hear Tayuya muttering several curses aimed at him and it deeply confused him as to why she was crying. The one he believed would never cry in front of everybody, but here she was proving his statement wrong. Naruto steeled his features and carefully gazed towards her crying figure and it made him realize how fragile she seemed in this state.

This occurrence seemed eerily similar to the time Maki was crying in his arms a couple of weeks ago. It made him believe that it was him that was causing all this unnecessary pain to the people who he was supposed to be protecting. That was partly true in a sense, but not in the way he believed it though.

Naruto stood frozen in place as his body began to spark once again, but this time it was accompanied with a dramatic drop in temperature that resulted in ice forming alongside the walls and floors in the corridor.

Tayuya experienced the sudden drop in temperature and immediately began to shiver from the ice cold temperatures she was feeling. She glanced up and noticed Naruto was looking at her with those red demonic eyes again and was covered by a thin veil of electricity that was strangely not affecting her. She also noticed that the ground around him was completely frozen solid.

She was questioning how he was able to produce solid ice and what in the hell were those awful looking eyes of his that demanded respect and submission at anyone who came across them. She had to admit he looked extremely terrifying with those eyes, but oddly enticing as well.

She quickly regained her composure and noticed that his gaze continued to linger at her but it wasn't directed at her anymore. It was something behind her that had his attention. Her eyes rose in realization and quickly spun around and came face to face with her master Orochimaru and was flabbergasted on how she wasn't able to sense him at all. She had always been able to sense him coming before since he didn't feel the need to hide his power from them.

"Well, well, well it seems that our little patient has awakened and how interesting that you have the sharingan boy may I ask how you got it". Orochimaru's snake like eyes pierced through the darkness similar to Naruto's own red sharingan eyes focused straight on him.

Tayuya quickly disappeared from sight since her master had discretely signaled her to bring the others in case things got heated between them for whatever reason. She was a bit hesitant in bringing all the others since she didn't know what exactly her master planned to do with Naruto. It scared her at realizing that Naruto could be killed if her master wished it.

She believed that Naruto wouldn't stand a chance in hell against all of them and it brought the question as to why he would need back up since he could personally take out Naruto without breaking a sweat. She threw her doubts out of her head and rushed towards the rooms where her fellow friends were resting at.

While Tayuya retrieved them Orochimaru and Naruto continued to glare at one another unflinching. Even though he didn't show it Naruto was a bit afraid at the terrifying man in front of him. He saw that he was hiding his true power, but for what reason he did not know. He realized that compared to his own he didn't stand a chance in hell if he was forced to fight him…at least not yet.

Naruto remained unmoving from his place as he glared at the smirking man in front of him seemingly unfazed by him one bit. He immediately sensed several other chakra sources coming straight at them and knew they were equally as powerful when Tayuya was transformed if not more.

This realization brought him back to reality knowing all too well he could not take them all on. His sharingan eyes quickly rested on the others that had arrived and were calmly standing beside their so called master. In total there were 4 of them including Tayuya and could feel they were hiding their real power like Tayuya had done. He felt as if something was missing and that something was very important.

His enhanced senses quickly picked up that something was coming towards him from behind and it was fast. The fasted he had sensed someone move and it was aiming straight at him with the intent to kill him.

Naruto smoothly weaved out of the way and saw the mysterious figure land beside the supposed leader of the group. Naruto coldly rested his eyes on the fellow shinobi in front of him and calmly began to examine him and realized he was the one that saved Tayuya that fateful night.

Orochimaru simply spoke to his fellow pupil without turning his gaze away from Naruto, "I thought I made it clear not to attack him Kimimaro".

Kimimaro just stood frozen his eyes never leaving Naruto's. "Excuse my insubordination Orochimaru-sama I did not mean to kill him I just wanted to test his reflexes personally". He bluntly replied but if you were to look closer he was deep in thought_. 'Strange this Naruto person managed to sense me from behind and skillfully moved out of the way'._

Kimimaro's eyes inspected the unique red eyes that Naruto had and remembered his master had informed him that his former village of Konoha had shinobi with strange red eyes capable of seeing almost everything making it near impossible to catch them off guard when they had their eyes activated.

"Were these the eyes you were explaining to me the other day Orochimaru-sama? He asked and was quickly answered by the tiny nod of Orochimaru's that confirmed his thought.

Naruto's red eyes rested and locked onto the most imposing figure in front of him and asked him a question, "What do you want with me I grow bored of waiting around meaninglessly".

Orochimaru simply smirked at his question, "Boy if I were you I would be a litter nicer to the people that basically brought you back from the dead a.." but was unable to finish when Naruto quickly remarked.

"As I said before I grow tired of this meaningless chat just get to the point and tell me what you want", he calmly asked.

Orochimaru continued to smirk, "Well, well boy it seems you don't quite understand your situation. Since I could without you ever realizing it kill you if I wanted to". He bluntly threatened seeking some respect from the boy that appeared to be unafraid of the situation he was in right now.

Naruto stayed silent at his blatant threat and merely nodded that he understood. He noticed a strange shinobi that appeared to have 2 heads step forward and make his point.

"What the big deal Orochimaru-sama why can't we just kill this trash and go back to sleep. I mean he's basically asking for it insulting us and making us feel like we are beneath him even though we were nice enough to let him sleep the whole week in our base. Which I might add is supposed to be top secret in the first place but whatever you're the boss". He scoffed since it truly agitated him the way Naruto was looking towards them with those red eyes of his that screamed superiority over them.

Orochimaru calmly replied towards his fellow subordinate, "Don't forget Sakon this person single handedly defeated Tayuya and completely destroyed her Doki in the process".

Sakon simply went back to the others, "Please I could kill Tayuya if I wanted to its not that hard really. I mean I'm the strongest person in this group besides Kimimaro of course so I don't see your point Orochimaru-sama".

Tayuya audibly scowled and retorted, "Shut the fuck up you freaking mutant of a person. I could kill you anytime if I wanted to I just don't try because your filthy blood would stain my flute that's all".

Sakon merely shrugged her off, "Yeah, yeah we all know your strong Tayuya don't go getting all mad at me when I'm not the one that kicked your ass in the first place".

Tayuya scoffed at his insult, '_you just wait you fucking piece of trash I will kill you and then I will become the most powerful person in the group and you will be the one groveling at my feet begging for mercy'._

Sakon saw Tayuya laughing to herself and it honestly creeped him the hell out, "I know you're thinking of ways to kill me Tayuya so please for the sake of all of us stop your creepy laughter. Seriously it gives even me the shivers just hearing it.

Tayuya was brought out of her stupor and quickly regained her composure, "Shut the fuck up Sakon and stop fucking talking you're fucking annoying why don't you just go fuck yourself".

Sakon smirked, "How about I fuck you instead Tayuya? How about it I know girls have special needs they need to fulfill don't they", he teased knowing how Tayuya would react.

Tayuya was beyond pissed at this point and the only sort of relief she could find was of course violence. She quickly appeared in front of Sakon and slugged him straight in the face.

Sakon was sent flying all the while smiling, "Totally worth it hahaha".

Meanwhile the biggest of the four felt the need to interject, "You didn't have to hit him Tayuya he was just making a friendly joke that's all".

Tayuya was still pissed and thus turned her attention to the one that decided to talk, "Shut the hell up Jirobo you fat piece of shit who the hell asked your opinion in the first place. Nobody cares what comes out of that disgusting mouth of yours", she spit out.

Jirobo simply ignored her and turned around knowing his role in the conversation had ended.

The last person in the group that had 6 arms felt the need to step into the conversation, "Lighten up Tayuya Sakon was only making a joke I mean we all know you only like girls so chill out".

Tayuya was even more pissed at this point if that was even fathomable and was about to hit Kidomaro, but was quickly stopped when she felt the glare of her master meaning it would be wise to stop. She quickly regained her composure and decided to save her anger for later.

Naruto was confused to the way they acted towards each other. It was like they were a big family bickering against each other. Naruto shifted his eyes towards the leader once again and calmly spoke. "Care to move this along and tell me what exactly you want with me. I am growing bored of this and want to leave as quickly as possible".

Orochimaru stepped forward, "Well I can see you're a no nonsense kind of guy like myself so I'll get straight to the point… join us Naruto-kun. I could give you power beyond your greatest imagination. I could fulfill your craving of power that you hold deep in your heart", he emphasized the word power as it echoed around the dark hallways.

Naruto narrowed his eyes towards the leader, "How do you figure I desire power".

Orochimaru simply chuckled, "Don't we all want power boy? You're no different from the rest of us". His hand signaled towards the group behind him that included Tayuya as well.

Now Naruto wasn't naïve and knew all along that Tayuya wanted power, but did he really need it especially from him. If he would be honest with himself the offer didn't sound like such a bad idea, but right now he felt amazing and felt near unbeatable. Of course he knew that he wasn't since there was always someone stronger out there and unfortunately for him he was standing right in front of him.

Naruto continued to ponder on the idea of joining these people and it sounded good and was probably due to the fact that he would be able to see Tayuya everyday which was nice since he enjoyed her company somewhat. He knew that Tayuya had been watching over him throughout the week. At the same time it wasn't realistic if he joined with them since it would make him a missing-nin which he didn't want at all.

Also he already had someone that would make him stronger and he considered Itachi much stronger and wiser than this supposed leader. Naruto felt confident in his answer and calmly spoke, "I am sorry Orochimaru-san I'm going to have to decline your generous offer".

Orochimaru simply smirked and seemed like he already knew what his answer was all along, but couldn't help but be intrigued as to why he would decline it. "Very well Naruto-kun, but may I ask why you declined my offer".

Naruto nodded, "I have people waiting for me back home and they would be very disappointed with me for betraying a promise I made". His gaze turned towards where Tayuya had been standing and was disappointed when he saw her quickly walking away hanging her head in disappointment.

Orochimaru's confident attitude fell and signaled for his men to stand aside, "Very well Naruto-kun you may leave we have nothing else to discuss".

Naruto nodded and started to walk past them to where he believed the exit was located inside this place. As he was nearing the exit he began to hear murmurs of discontent from the 3, but were quickly silenced by their leader. Naruto arrived at the exit and was greeted by a shinobi with glasses and he recalled him being there while he was resting and concluded he was the doctor watching over him.

The silver haired shinobi simply smiled towards him and greeted him in a tone that was polar opposite of his smile. "One word of advice Naruto-kun do not betray us and report that you even met us. If you do so we will kill Tayuya-san she is easily disposable understand", he threatened him.

Naruto slowly nodded and felt the need to pound this guy's face in, but had to restraint himself from doing so. Since he would most likely die fighting all of them and Tayuya would follow after him. That thought angered him beyond belief that they would stoop so low as to kill one of their fellow comrades like they were nothing but trash to throw away.

He slowly continued walking and went through the door and was greeted by the darkness of the forest signifying night time. He looked behind one last time and was greeted with weeds and vegetation completely blocking the view of the door if it was still there for that matter. Not feeling the need to walk all the way back to the village and attract unwanted attention flashed into his room where he was greeted with 2 individuals.

(Location Naruto's Hotel Room)

The two individuals were of course Jiraiya and Itachi-sensei. Itachi was in the very corner of the room where he usually was and the only thing you could see where his eyes that he never failed to flaunt. Well at least it looked like that to him since he rarely had seen him without them activated. His red sharingan eyes met Itachi's own sharingan eyes for a brief moment before he heard Jiraiya snoring up a storm comfortably sleeping in his bed.

He sighed at the scene before him and silently walked towards the window and calmly gazed towards the empty sky thinking on the event before. "Why are you here Itachi-sensei? I thought you weren't supposed to show yourself during this mission or was I mistaken?

Itachi continued to gaze at Naruto while his mind was raging with so many questions as to where Naruto was all this time and why he couldn't find him no matter what he tried.

"Naruto-kun don't worry about me revealing myself to Jiraiya since I already took the liberty and explained him the situation".

Naruto nodded that he understood and listen carefully.

"Now care to tell me where you were this whole week. I thought I specifically told you not to go outside whatsoever and wait for Jiraiya-sama to come back". He lectured at Naruto who was simply gazing out into the dark sky looking like he had a lot on his mind.

Naruto turned towards his sensei and rested his eyes on his own wondering whether or not to tell him the whole truth. He finally decided on telling the truth since he honestly didn't know if he could lie to him about it. "Fine Itachi-sensei I'll tell you what I've been up to this past week, but you've got to promise me to keep this between us understand".

Itachi calmly nodded, "Very well Naruto-kun I won't mention this information again…now tell me what exactly happened to you".

Naruto calmly breathed in and explained, "A couple of days ago while I was waiting for Jiraiya to return I started feeling weak for whatever reason and was constantly spitting out blood". "The next moment my body just gave out and the next thing I know I had awakened in a very dark place unaware of where I was. As the time went by I started to feel stronger and healthier and that was when I met him".

Itachi slightly narrowed his eyes on the emphasis of the word him, "Who did you meet Naruto-kun? Itachi could see that Naruto was a bit hesitant from telling him who exactly he came across. He saw that he finally decided to just tell him and began walking towards him and crouched down to eye level.

"I met Orochimaru Itachi-sensei", he whispered to him not knowing whether they were watching him and didn't want Tayuya to get hurt because of him.

Itachi's expressionless visage slightly crumbled at the sound of his name. You couldn't really blame him since Naruto had met one of the most notorious criminals of the Hidden Leaf Village and was still alive to tell him about it.

Naruto saw that Itachi was a bit surprised with the information and was intrigued as to who this man was that could spark some sort of emotion into the always calm Itachi. Naruto at least knew the leader was someone powerful, but he wanted more than that he wanted specific details about the man that controlled his friend.

"Itachi-sensei care to tell me more about this Orochimaru person".

Itachi was still in a bit of shock at hearing that man's name in quite some time, but recovered enough to answer his question. "You're lucky to even be alive Naruto-kun. This man is the most notorious in Konoha that was in the running on becoming Hokage, instead of the Yondaime Hokage that you know all too well. He is also known as one of the legendary three, known around the 5 great nations as the legendary Sannin".

Naruto was disturbed with this information when realizing how close he was to death since he was talking to the man that was once going to become Hokage. Naruto managed to compose himself and asked another question. "Who are the other two Sannin Itachi-sensei?

Itachi smirked at his curiosity and made him realize that he was still a child at heart wanting to know about the world around him. His eyes went past him and lingered on the man that was snoring so loud surprising him none of the other guest in the hotel hadn't woken up and complained yet.

"You're in the presence of one Naruto-kun; Jiraiya is a Sannin as well as Orochimaru and Tsunade".

Naruto's eyes widened at the realization of being in the presence of not one, but two legendary shinobi of the world and he didn't even realize it. It made him realize that he still needed a lot of training to do and it couldn't hurt to read some of the current event happening in the world.

Itachi noticed Naruto was silently brooding over the fact that two of the most powerful ninjas were in his presence all this time. He quickly hardened his gaze and brought Naruto out of his little slump, "What did he tell you while you were there in the first place Naruto-kun?

Naruto snapped out of his depression and seriously gazed towards his master, "He offered me power and a place on his group if I joined him and left Konoha".

Itachi nodded, "Well did you happen to accept his offer?

Naruto negatively nodded, "No I couldn't take his offer no matter what he promised me in return".

Itachi merely nodded and was a bit relieved his future student wouldn't abandon his village for power. "What exactly does he have over you to cover this up from Jiraiya Naruto-kun? Itachi accurately assumed.

Naruto stood up and silently walked towards the window once again and coldly growled, "A very special friend I made while I was here that practically saved my life and if I even breathed a word about them they would kill her without hesitation".

The tense atmosphere was broken when Naruto yawned and went to the other dark corner opposite of his sensei's. He was definitely not going to wake up Jiraiya and ask for his bed back. He slowly closed his eyes and let the silence of the night embrace him.

(The next day)

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and cringed at the sudden blast of sunshine piercing through the window signifying that it was morning already. He quickly got up from his corner and stretched a bit noticing both Jiraiya and Itachi were nowhere to be seen. As he went to retrieve his backpack he noticed a small note on the side of the bed that read. _'Hey kid didn't want to wake you up so early so decided to go for a stroll and whenever you wake up just head towards the front gate. Your mission is over and I know you really didn't do much, but I'll explain more once we meet in front'._

Naruto pocketed the small note and followed what it said heading straight for the village gates. While he was heading towards the gates he remembered that this road was exactly the place he had come in from the very beginning. _'I can't believe almost a whole month has gone by since I came here. A lot of things have happened in the past couple of weeks pretty wild if you think about it'._

He noticed very few people walking about in the village streets since it was so early in the morning. He had to admit it was refreshing seeing this village quiet for a change. A couple minutes had passed when he finally began to see the village gates ahead of him. Beside them stood Jiraiya and Itachi patiently waiting for him to arrive or so he thought.

"What the hell kid I kindly let you sleep in for a couple more hours and this is how you repay me. By being so damn late I mean come one have some consideration for your sensei. We have been waiting for hours I could've been enjoying myself with some fine women willing to do anything for me don't you understand". Jiraiya complained while Itachi didn't even seem to care about their conversation at all and was merely staring into the forest ahead of him.

Sometimes he wondered what went through that genius mind of his. Naruto nervously scratched the side of his cheek, "Sorry about that Jiraiya-sensei I didn't know you gave up so much for me to be able to sleep in a couple extra hours you're the best".

Jiraiya coughed and looked away sheepishly, "Well as long as you understand how awesome I am then if forgive you. Oh and before I forget here this is for your mission just turn it in to the old man and you'll be rewarded okay". Jiraiya proceeded to toss Naruto a sealed scroll most likely containing whatever he was doing while he was away and quickly stuffed it into his backpack.

Naruto was all set to go when Jiraiya suddenly stopped him in his tracks, "Hey kid it seems that someone doesn't want you to go just yet". The powerful man pointed to someone behind him.

Naruto intrigued as to who it might be quickly turned around and was confused that Tayuya was standing there with her arms across her chest. Let's just say she looked pissed and that was putting it gently. Naruto sighed and turned around, "I'll be back guys this won't take long, but if it does start planning my funeral because I don't see this ending well".

Jiraiya looked towards Itachi for some information on the situation, but was ignored by an occupied Itachi who was simply staring into the empty road of the forest and only felt the need to leave a brief comment, "Don't worry about it".

Jiraiya turned back and narrowed his eyes carefully studying the situation at hand and with his infinite wisdom in the fine arts of women immediately knew what Naruto was going through. It made him so proud since he too had to always leave behind his lover in search of new more beautiful women… at least that was his reason. Jiraiya wiped a fake tear and cheered Naruto on, "You make me so proud kid, but make sure you let her down nice and slow".

Naruto merely ignored the perverted old man and calmly continued walking towards the furious Tayuya. He finally reached her and thought it would be polite to at least greet her, "Hey Tayuya-chan what brings you here did you forget to tell me something? Naruto was getting even more confused by the way Tayuya was keeping silent and if you knew her like he did you would know that she was never silent.

Tayuya narrowed her eyes at the oblivious Naruto, "What the fuck is with the chan at the end of my name? You're not my boyfriend or anything so why the fuck did you add it in the first place answer me".

Naruto merely shrugged at her question, "I thought we were friends that's all".

Tayuya boiled at his nonchalant answer, "What the fuck gave you the idea that we were friends at all you. You fucking tried to kill me and if Kimimaro hadn't interfered you would've. So take that friendship and shove it up your fucking ass fucking idiot".

Naruto face visibly hardened at her harsh response, but managed to keep a cool visage and quickly turned around walking away from her.

Tayuya saw this and was confused at his actions and couldn't help but shout for him to stop, "H-hey where the hell do you think you're going?

Naruto stopped in his tracks and once again turned to face a worried Tayuya, "I got the feeling you were finished talking with me with your harsh response".

Tayuya flinched at his tone, but knew it was her fault at absentmindedly insulting him whether she wanted to or not it was an instinct to curse someone out. She finally decided to get it over with and quickly handed over a necklace that was attached with a tiny silver locket, "H-here t-take it this is for you okay".

Naruto felt something cold in the palm of his hand and brought it up to his face for a closer inspection. He carefully opened it and inside was two pictures, on the left side was a picture of what appeared to be Tayuya's mother from the way she strongly resembled her and on the right of the locket held a picture of a tiny looking Tayuya at about 5 years old.

Naruto began to chuckle a bit as he held the locket and this action truly agitated Tayuya to no end thinking he was making fun of her.

"What the fuck are you laughing at if you don't want it the just give it back", she seethed feeling completely embarrassed that he didn't accept it and even worse laughed at it.

Naruto's laugh quickly tempered down and gently put the necklace over his neck, "Don't misunderstand Tayuya-chan of course I want this since it means that you like me doesn't it", he finished while wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

Tayuya simply scoffed and firmly turned around, "Don't be so full of yourself who in their right mind would like an idiot like you who is always spouting such nonsense. I mean come on Naruto don't be stupid".

Naruto continued to stare at the locket, "Thanks for the locket Tayuya-chan I really like the picture of you as a kid its really cute".

Tayuya began to blush up a storm trying her best to downplay the situation, "O-of c-course it's cute it's me after all what did you expect that I would be ugly as a child don't be ridiculous Naruto".

Naruto smiled at her response, "Yeah your right what was I thinking since your mom was beautiful and since you're obviously beautiful now there was no way you couldn't be cute as a child".

Tayuya's best efforts to downplay their conversation plummeted from the constant compliments coming from him who seemed oblivious on the effect it was causing her. She was still lost in thought when she suddenly felt a wet feeling on her lips and her eyes widened in realization.

Naruto had kissed her straight on the lips without any warning and as suddenly as it was happening it was over.

Tayuya ran her delicate fingers over her lips and couldn't believe what had happened, "Why in the hell did you kiss me you idiot? Are you crazy? You just don't kiss someone without warning".

Naruto just waved her off, "That just my way of showing thanks for saving my life that's all".

Tayuya was shocked for a moment and quickly recovered and neared him, "Then if you're going to do it then do it right". She planted her moist lips on his and began to fiercely go at it for a whole three minutes when finally they surfaced for air.

Tayuya quickly inched away from him and didn't dare to make eye contact with him at her sudden desire to rave his lips. She felt that if she didn't do it now it would've never had happened and she would've regret it for the rest of her life.

Naruto quickly recovered and smirked, "Damn Tayuya-chan I didn't know you had so much experience in kissing that was amazing".

She scoffed at his accusation, "Just so you know that was my first kiss you idiot".

Naruto nodded, "I knew that was your first kiss Tayuya-chan I was just teasing you". Naruto slowly turned around and began to walk away heading for the gates where his superiors were waiting for him. "Goodbye Tayuya-chan I hope one day I get to see you again and maybe this time under better circumstances. Who knows we could've become something so until then take care of yourself and be safe Tayuya-chan".

Tayuya couldn't help but frown at the thought of never seeing Naruto again, but managed to smile at the thought of her first ever kiss was with someone that truly considered her something special.

Tayuya smirked at Naruto's retreating form and shouted loud enough for them to hear, "Don't be trying to act all cool in front of your friends you idiot and you better not fucking forget me understand Naruto-kun".

Naruto was barely able to hear her halfway down the road and couldn't help but smile, _'You finally said it Tayuya-chan'._

Jiraiya who was on his left side smirked at what Naruto's supposed girlfriend had shouted, "Cool it Casanova aren't you a bit young to be flirting with girl? I mean you're barely 10 years old for Christ sake".

Naruto shrugged, "Tell me something sensei do I look or act like a kid to you?

Jiraiya sighed in defeat, "I see your point kid, but still I mean where in the hell did you meet her? And how can you stand her constant curses that were directed at you no less".

Naruto shrugged once again, "I'm actually not offended by it at all. I know it's her way of showing her love or hate towards people".

Jiraiya seemed amused by the way Naruto was taking this too lightly. "Just you wait kid once you're an adult and if that woman is still around you won't be spouting those words so lightly. I mean just image a fully grown Tayuya screaming at you while she's having a baby".

Naruto looked disturbed at the thought, "You can't be serious Jiraiya-sensei, and I mean Tayuya pregnant how in the world is that going to happen?

Jiraiya sweat dropped at the obliviousness that Naruto was right now, "Come one Naruto it's not that hard to figure out. What I meant was that it would be you in that delivery room while she cursed you out for getting her pregnant in the first place you idiot".

Naruto for the first time was deeply disturbed by the thought of an adult Tayuya choking him to death from the pain of the child birth she was having.

Jiraiya burst out laughing at Naruto's reaction and decided to comfort him by patting his back, "Don't worry about it kid I mean what are the chances of that actually happening right".

Itachi who had been observing this whole time was the one that answered the question this time, "Quite high actually Jiraiya-sama".

(Location Orochimaru's hidden base)

With Kabuto, "Orochimaru-sama may I ask why you let Naruto-kun go in the first place when you clearly had him within your grasp".

Orochimaru smirked and quickly answered, "Now, now Kabuto-kun don't worry about the trivial things I got it all under control", he darkly chuckled and faded into the darkness.

(One week later)

Naruto could be seen walking alone since Jiraiya had parted ways with him about halfway during the trip saying he had other business to attend to. Then as soon as Jiraiya had left Itachi also had stated that he had been assigned a mission once he was done watching over him so went his separate ways as well.

Finally he was greeted with the huge village gates greeting him back home, but the feeling of nostalgia quickly faded when he saw several Anbu members waiting for him. He crossed the village gates and was quickly greeted by the fellow Anbu, "Welcome back Uzumaki-san the Hokage has been expecting you to return any day now and has requested that you immediately come see him".

Naruto coldly glared back at the Anbu, "May I ask what's so important that it can't wait?

The Anbu stood frozen like lifeless dolls and negatively nodded, "I am sorry Uzumaki-san the Hokage specifically requested that you meet him as soon as you arrived and did not tell us anything beyond that".

Naruto's eyes darkened over feeling a very ominous feeling as dread began to fill his heart, but still decided to meet the old man.

The Anbu noticed that Naruto agreed to meet the hokage so flashed him directly to the Hokage tower. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the Hokage's office when they were quickly signaled to disperse.

Naruto saw the Hokage absentmindedly gazing out the huge windows in his office seemingly deep in thought. Deciding to break the silence asked the reason why he was here, "What the problem old man why did you need me so soon? Silence overtook the room making him feel even more uncomfortable.

Naruto was about to question him once again, but didn't need to when he finally got his answer, "Chi has died Naruto-kun".

Naruto was shocked beyond belief not registering what he had just told him, "W-what did you just say Hokage-sama?

The tired old Hokage didn't even look back and repeated what he had said, "Chi was murdered Naruto-kun".

Naruto didn't have time to soak in the information when the Hokage bombarded him with another devastating tragedy, "I suggest you get to the Hospital and say whatever you need to say to Maki-chan since she will most likely not make it another night". The Hokage spoke in a manner that was uncommon with him making Naruto disturbed by the news.

Naruto didn't even hesitate a single moment and quickly flashed out of the office and appeared in the hospital.

(Location Konoha Hospital)

Naruto was greeted with a pale looking Maki hooked up with endless amounts of machines that were constantly checking on her wellbeing. He was horrified at the scene in front of him never in his life did he want to see one of his best friends in this state.

Maki somehow sensed his familiar scent and while struggling to turn and face him managed somehow and laid her eyes on her friend. If she was in normal condition she would've jumped up and hugged him for returning safely, but sadly couldn't exactly do that. While strained still managed to crack a smile, "Hey Naruto-kun I see you've returned like you promised I'm sorry I looked so pitiful for you welcome home party". She had to stop as she recovered from a small coughing fit.

She recovered and continued, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect Chi like I had promised Naruto. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you for the future to come. I'm sorry for not being there enough. I'm sorry for not being a better sensei. I'm sorry for everything Naruto-kun". She began to tear up at her proclamation and the realization of not being able to oversee Naruto's growth and be a part of it like she had dreamed countless nights once she met him.

Naruto chest felt extremely heavy at the scene that was unfolding before him and felt his throat lock up, but somehow managed to ask a simple question, "Who did this Maki-chan? Who caused you this pain? His Sharingan blazing full blast somehow wanting to find and break this terrible nightmare he was in, if only that were true.

Maki saw his sharingan and was amazed that he had it, but felt that her time was nearing so felt this responsibility on answering his question. She began to violently cough out blood into her palm and seemed like she wouldn't be able to answer his question, but somehow she managed. "N-Naruto-kun P-please don't seek out revenge over me I don't want that to consume your life".

Naruto continued gazing at her tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes, **"Who did this to you Maki? **His voice distorted and deep. His entire body was enveloped by the similar shield of electricity, but this time the color was blood red.

Maki sighed knowing that he wasn't going to relent from this so answered him before she passed on, "It was ordered by Danzo Naruto-kun".

Naruto nodded and wanted to immediately go and find this Danzo person and kill him mercilessly, but was pulled back by Maki that kissed him. They finished their brief kiss as Maki began to gently smile, "For the longest time I always wanted to do that Naruto-kun, but I feel like I am at peace now. My only regret is not being able to be near you when you grow stronger and become someone special, but whatever you do never give up and always know that me and Chi Loved You".

The room became silent as the familiar sound of the machines that indicated someone's death echoed through the empty room. Naruto eyes continued to rest on Maki's smiling face not believing that she was gone from his life. The very first friend he had ever made was gone forever never to be seen again, talk to again, struggle with, all that stuff was gone. His heart felt like it had broken in two as his whole demeanor changed into one of pure coldness not caring about himself only about killing one man, 'Danzo'. His sharingan eyes slowly evolved into stage three as another tomoe resided in both eyes making it a total of three. He now had a fully developed sharingan at the age of 9. This day would mark Naruto's transformation towards coldness and emotionless.


	14. The mourning of a friend

_**A/N: Hello my fellow reader I am finally back. Thanks to all the people that review my previous chapter and giving me motivation to continue. Now please continue to review so that I put out the chapter faster so please Enjoy the chapter and Review!**_

_**P.S: I will have a time skip for the next chapter and will officially follow the cannon storyline while changing it to fit my Naruto.**_

_(A couple of hours later)_

**(Location Naruto's Bedroom)**

The night was dark and cold in the village hidden in the leaves. Where the tragic murder of both Chi and Maki had occurred a few hours ago. That night would never be forgotten in the memories of a select few that included the one that was hurting the most after hearing the tragic news…Naruto Uzumaki. His world had been turned upside down at the news and was desperately trying to figure out what his purpose in this cruel world was.

He had lost what he considered his closest family in one single night to the most vicious monsters. The worst part about the whole situation was that it was his fault all along. He should've known that they would send someone to finish off the job that they had given him in the very beginning. The night when he killed several of their members he felt that it was enough, but apparently it wasn't enough. All he knew about these mysterious murderers was their leader** Danzo**. That Maki had told him about on her dying breath that night.

Why did this tragic event have to happen to them? Why did such good people have to die for a pathetic reason? What kind of monsters could kill an innocent child in cold blood? All these questions swirled around his mind making him even angrier that he didn't have the answers he so desperately needed. For the first time since he got his new powers he felt weak, fragile, and pathetic. He failed to protect the only friends he made and the result was their untimely demise. He realized that this world was truly cruel to him.

Naruto was sitting in the darkest corner of the room while being enveloped by total darkness. The only hint of any light that could be seen came from his perfect sharingan eyes that gleamed coldly in the darkness. His sharingan eyes were devoid of any emotion since his mind had been shattered while his body was an empty shell of what it once was. The death of his friends truly broke him beyond repair and his only thought was revenge. Revenge on the scum that caused him this pain and suffering.

That feeling was intensified when he came into his dark room last night. The sight that he was about to be greeted upon entering his room would forever change his view on his existence in this world and make him understand that the world is filled with **pain**.

_(Flashback Last Night)_

**(Location Village Streets)**

Naruto was trudging through the empty streets of Konoha mindlessly dragging his feet towards his home. His purpose to live on this world was quickly diminishing and the happiness he once felt in this lonely village was savagely taken from him in a matter of moments. His two best friends had been murdered without a second thought and the feeling that it was his fault only brought him more suffering.

He whole heartedly believed that he should have been the victim in this tragedy not them. They were only innocent victims in this whole situation and were only killed because of his carelessness. He should have investigated further on the people that came to him that fateful night.

While they were there they had offered him power if he killed his best friend Maki. Which of course he quickly denied and swiftly killed them. He thought that once the deed was done that it would be the end of it, but he was once again wrong and it came with a heavy price, the lives of his friends.

He had a theory about the people responsible for their deaths. They most likely were the ones that had sent him on his mission that day. While he was gone they had struck where it mattered the most to him, his precious people. He absolutely despised anyone that would stoop so low that they would kill someone close to him just to prove a meaningless point.

Those are the kind of shinobi that would do anything to prove their point no matter what pain they caused to the victim. Those are the type of people that are the absolute scum of this earth. Those are the type of monsters that he would enjoy killing. Those are the type of demons that would suffer the most agonizing pain by his hands. He would not only kill the man behind this far from it. He would kill everyone that had a shred of involvement in their deaths no matter how miniscule it was he would kill them all.

Everyone would be paying for the murder of his friends and would suffer his wrath. At the end of the day they are the one that would be screaming and begging him for a shred of mercy.

Naruto felt a sudden change on the way he went through information as his mind was quickly evolving into one of cunningness and strategy. This transformation didn't go unnoticed as he smirked at the fortunate development. He had no idea as for the reason of this change, but that didn't matter since it would be used for one thing…**'Revenge'.**

He came to a stop on his walk when his eyes shifted towards the huge apartment complex before him. His empty eyes lingered on the aged building and couldn't help, but remember on a specific moment that he had with someone close to him.

_(Flashback within a flashback)_

**(Location Naruto's Bedroom)**

Having finished taking a quick shower motioned for Chi who was comfortably siting on his living room couch watching who knows what to follow him so that they could depart. He felt that the time was right since it was about 8:30 AM. Which he assumed most people would be awake by now and were doing their morning routine.

Chi saw his signal and happily hopped off the couch and walked towards the small TV that Naruto had gotten from the old man for free. She shut it off and followed Naruto out of the door before he shut it close behind them. They slowly neared the bottom of the long stairs and noticed Chi was smiling happily as if she knew something he didn't.

"_**You were right big brother your house isn't so scary once the sun is up is it",**_ she laughed mostly towards herself for being scared last night.

Naruto just nodded and continued walking in the empty streets and shifted his eyes towards the smiling Chi and couldn't help, but admire her cuteness. She had very dark hair that overflowed past her slender shoulders. They were complimented with her big brown eyes that screamed adorableness and would surely mesmerize anyone that gazed into them for too long.

_(Flashback within a flashback End)_

**(In Front of Naruto's Apartment)**

He would never forget her innocent looking face when she spouted those naïve words towards him. Her sweet voice would always remain engraved in his conscious and her smile would continue to haunt him for years to come. He knew all this time that she was constantly trying to make him smile or laugh whenever she had a chance to. This went with Maki as well.

It broke his damaged heart even more knowing he would never lay his eyes on her and witness her precious smile. Her face would take all the troubles you were having and would erase them like they were miniscule before her innocent smile. He would miss it dearly and just hoped that wherever they were right now that they had a better life than what he could provide for them.

He brought his cold dead eyes back to reality and proceeded to climb up the stairs towards his room. His face darkened even more at the scene before him. His entire room was decorated to the brim with welcome home banners and ribbons everywhere. They even went out of their way and had left him some presents on top of the couch just waiting to be opened when he arrived.

He silently closed the door behind him and walked towards the living room couch where his presents awaited him. His eyes rested on the smallest of the gifts that belonged to Chi and decided to open it first. He slowly unwrapped the small box and was astounded with the small golden necklace that had his name engraved into it alongside brother as well.

Even though it was hard to tell he was very happy every time that Chi would call him her brother. It made him feel that he had some sort of family even though he knew that it wasn't blood related. To him it was enough and didn't mind it one bit that he was called big brother. He slowly brought the delicate looking necklace towards his neck and gently locked it in place resting perfectly alongside the one Tayuya had given him.

Once he had finished with Chi's present decided to open the other one which he noticed was pretty big. He slowly brought the item out of the wrapping and was confused on the simplicity of the gift Maki had given him. It was a plain black jacket with a hood that matched. That was all the gift contained which surprised him since he thought that she would've gone all out on the gift, but he didn't mind and accepted the generous gift.

_(Flashback End)_

**(Location Naruto's Bedroom)**

Naruto continued to gaze towards the empty floor and thought of ways to avenge his friends. He wasn't naïve to believe that he was strong enough to take on all the people responsible for the tragedy. He knew that he needed more power and the only person that could provide him with it was his sensei Uchiha Itachi.

The renowned genius of the Uchiha clan, but there was a slight problem with his plan. He hadn't seen him since they had parted ways a couple of days ago, but he knew that he absolutely needed to find him and train. So that he could be strong enough to avenge them and make sure it never happened to anyone ever again.

First thing tomorrow was that he needed to see the old man and ask him where Itachi had gone. That was the sole objective for tomorrow and he would not fail in gaining the information he needed.

_(1 day later)_

**(Location Village Streets)**

The sun shone bright as the morning light beamed throughout the village signifying a brand new day in the village of Konoha. Naruto was at the foot of the stairs gazing meaninglessly at the empty streets of Konoha. The people were still asleep since it was so early in the day, but one thing was certain the Hokage wasn't asleep. This gave him the perfect time to ask the old man several questions that pertained to the event.

The only difference with Naruto's appearance was the brand new pitch black jacket that Maki had gifted it to him. He quite enjoyed the jacket since it made him feel that part of Maki was still with him. Same went with the necklace that was now resting comfortably alongside Tayuya's beside his chest. He would forever treasure these gifts since it was the only thing he had left that reminded him of them both.

He put his hands inside his pant pockets and began to walk towards the Hokage tower. Even though he had been gone for a whole month he still felt the same feeling from before. It made it seem like he had never went away on his mission. The village to him gave this peaceful yet ominous feeling towards it like if someone was watching him at a distance. He believed that it was just him being paranoid… or so he believed anyways.

He calmly continued walking and noticed the way the villagers were looking at him. It was as if he was a god or something sacred that couldn't be touched. The feeling came especially from the women, but not so much towards the men of the village. Their glares seemed more hateful or it could've been jealously he wasn't sure. He reasoned their glares were because of his bright white hair that he now sported. The villagers weren't used to seeing a young boy having white hair. He couldn't really blame them since he himself was still getting used to it.

His eyes darkened at the sight of a young girl holding hands with her mother while they smiled enjoying their morning in the village. He figured that Chi and himself looked exactly the same a couple of weeks ago since she would always grab hold of his hands only releasing them when she needed to. It made him accept once again that he would never again feel Chi's warmth in his hand.

He finally arrived and shifted his eyes upwards at the great Hokage Mansion before him. He remembered the time when he was standing at this exact spot, but the reason back them was to get a sensei to get stronger. This time however was totally different. This time all he wanted was answers to his questions from the old man.

His eyes lingered a bit longer on the Hokage Mountains when he finally broke his train of thought and continued up the stairs leading to the main office. His eyes once again met the eyes of the very women that had denied him entry not long ago, but his time things seemed different with her. The lady was so focused on her paperwork that she didn't even sense him standing before her.

Naruto spoke calmly snapping her out of her work, "Excuse me miss do you mind if I go see the Hokage? I have important information that could be useful to him regarding the deaths of Maki and Chi".

The women had to fight the urge to yelp in fright at the sudden voice, but quickly relaxed when seeing it was Naruto.

She fixed her glasses and regained her composure, "I am sorry Naruto-san I'm afraid the Hokage is extremely busy with someone right now. Can you please come back in a couple of hours? I'm sure that your information is important, but the Hokage wanted me to inform you that he had it under control and didn't need you meddling in such a serious case". The lady spoke with calmness, but Naruto picked up that her words were laced with fright. Either the cause of her fright was because of him or another reason all together he wasn't sure.

Naruto continued gazing towards the women as his eyes slowly morphed into the sharingan and once again spoke evenly towards the secretary of the Hokage. "I will ask you once again Secretary-san; may I please go in and see the Hokage? Her eyes slowly lost their light and absentmindedly nodded guiding him towards the office door. She brought her lifeless eyes towards the Hokage and Kakashi. "Excuse me Hokage-sama, but I bring you Naruto-sama".

Both the Hokage and Kakashi narrowed their eyes at the way she said Naruto's name and were suspicious of her actions. They didn't have time to study her behavior since she excused herself leaving them alone with Naruto. The Hokage's eye rested on Naruto's own and was confused at why he was here.

Since he had specifically informed his secretary to absolutely forbid anyone from interfering on the meeting he was having. He nonetheless waved for Naruto to take a seat next to Kakashi who was busily eyeing Naruto suspicious on what happened between the secretary and Naruto.

Naruto denied the Hokage of his offer and stood frozen in place while his eyes never left the Hokages own. His tone was menacing, but even at the same time. "Hokage-sama I am sorry for interrupting your little meeting with Hatake-san, but I wish to learn more on the case you both were discussing just now".

The aged Hokage remained calm when facing Naruto, but on the inside he was disturbed at Naruto's calmness even though he had learned that his friends had died last night. He continued to gaze at the boy while he took a puff out of his pipe and exhaled in delight. His face quickly morphed into one of false happiness, "Naruto-kun it's relieving to see you again. How have you been the past few days?

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the Hokages aloof nature angering him at the way he was treating the case. "Cut the bullshit Hokage-sama and tell me what you have found or I will be forced on finding it the hard way understand old man". His eyes turned menacing towards the Hokages carelessness.

Instead of the Hokage responding to his question it was the all-knowing Kakashi that answered him. "Oi Naruto-kun you better handle your anger and realize that you're talking to the Hokage or it might lead you into more troubles understand". His one eye remained as passive as ever while he gazed towards the calm looking Naruto that didn't even bat an eyelash at the powerful man's threat.

Naruto intense gaze finally left the Hokages own and shifted it towards the former Anbu Captain now Jounin teacher. "Kakashi-san don't involve yourself in matters that don't concern you. His eyes darkly narrowed towards the impassive man, "If you're trying to pin their deaths on me when I wasn't even here… I will kill you like all the rest of the scum that caused this understand".

Kakashi just nodded and continued to eye the boy feeling slightly agitated that he couldn't figure out what exactly was going on with him. He knew he was hiding something by the way he nonchalantly walked in here even though the secretary had strict orders on allowing him inside. His only guess was that Naruto had somehow put a genjutsu on the woman allowing him to enter, but the question was how in the world did he learn genjutsu? And how was he able to utilize it with his massive chakra reserves.

Another thing the Hokage and himself noticed was that Naruto was not the same as before. He was even colder and seemed even more confident in his ability clearly not afraid of both of them. From what he could gather was that something had happened while on his mission to Otogakure. That made him different and if you mixed that with the deaths of his friends the end result was disastrous.

The Hokage cleared his throat breaking the tension between the both of them and took another puff out of his pipe. "Settle down the both of you". His gaze turned towards the boy, "Now Naruto-kun I understand your anger towards the people that did this to them, but understand that I can't allow you to meddle in adult affairs".

Naruto just nodded not really caring on what the aged Hokage was saying, "Let me ask you this Hokage-sama do you perhaps know where Itachi has gone?

The Hokage hardened his features at the mention of his most gifted student, "I'm afraid he has important business to attend to Naruto-kun and won't be able to oversee your training for some time".

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the mention of his training with Itachi, "I see Itachi-sensei has spoken to you on our little deal hasn't he". Naruto swiftly turned around and proceeded towards the office door. "See you around old man and you too Kakashi-san and maybe you can test that sharingan of yours with mine some time. I would love to see it in action wouldn't you". Naruto smirked at Kakashi's shock and was about to leave the office, but was stopped by the Hokage.

The Hokage retrieved a small letter from his desk and offered it to Naruto, "Take this Naruto-kun I wouldn't want you missing your own friend's funeral now would I". His tone was laced with sarcasm which pissed Naruto to no end.

Naruto's sharingan flared awaked and began to spin wildly at the emotion he was feeling. The air around the room began to freeze as his eyes darkened at the offer, "**Don't paint me out to be a cruel guy that doesn't give a damn about his friends Hokage-sama. I'll be there and mourn my friends and show them the respect they deserve". **His tone was dark as the ice that was forming around him began to recede back as he continued out the office door leaving behind a confused Hokage and Kakashi alone.

The room was silent until Kakashi broke the tension in the room and spoke seriously. "Hokage-sama how did Naruto know that I have the sharingan did you perhaps slip it out somehow and what did he mean to test his own against his?

The Hokage stood unmoving from place, "I'm afraid I don't have the answers you seek Kakashi-kun and I have no idea what he meant from his last statement".

Kakashi nodded and asked another question, "Hokage-sama is it wise to let him be trained by Itachi. I mean how in the world did you convince the genius of the proud Uchiha clan to teach that boy? And since when has Naruto been this cold towards us?

Kakashi's questions swirled around him waiting to be answered, but the Hokage merely continued staring towards the empty office door. The Hokage finally broke his stare and reached for his pipe that lay on top of his aged desk.

He took a long puff out of it and slowly exhaled as he looked towards the young Jounin. "I didn't even mention to Itachi to teach the boy. He merely asked for permission to teach him to be ready. When I asked him why he was willing to teach the boy his only response was that he had an enormous amount of hidden potential just waiting to be explored".

He took another puff out of his pipe and exhaled loudly, "When I asked him for specifics he merely told me that it wasn't any of my concern and to have faith in him".

Kakashi nodded on his vague explanation and hardened his gaze towards the man, "So did you figure out who killed the girls?

The hokage walked towards the open windows and gazed absentmindedly at his relatively peaceful village. "We believe Danzo was involved with their murder, but we have no proof to connect him with the murder". He sighed deeply, "What really worries me is that Naruto-kun might have figured it out somehow and has turned towards the path of revenge".

Kakashi nodded knowing how that felt, "Do you know who told him it was him?

The Hokage nodded, "I believe it was Maki herself that told him when I gave him permission to go see her. He was the only one in the room when Maki eventually passed away".

Kakashi nodded and walked towards the office doors heading out, but not before giving the Hokage a piece of advice. "Hokage-sama if I may I implore you to watch Naruto-kun carefully. I feel a sense of dread when I watch him. It's like he's hiding something important from us, but doesn't want anyone to find out about it. The only person that might know would be Itachi-san since he is the one that saw the potential in the boy". Kakashi finished and walked out the door lazily waving towards the secretary who was still confused on what just happened.

_(1 week later)_

**(Location near The Village Cemetery)**

Naruto was calmly walking down the street heading towards the cemetery and pay his respect to his friends. He was suited in all black and was agitated that he had yet to come in contact with his sensei and was beginning to doubt if he would ever show up and begin his training. He didn't even know what his training would entail and didn't know whether it would be inside or outside the village.

Even through his doubts he continued onwards to mourn the lives of his precious people that were taken from him. He passed through the cemetery gates and was surprised at how many people had actually showed up to mourn with him.

His happiness that people had actually showed up quickly vanished when he heard several of the people from the Uchiha snickering that it was for the best that the failed Uchiha and her sidekick had died. That statement pierced deep into his heart and he now had another enemy the Uchiha themselves.

He took his place besides some blond folks that honestly looked to be in pain even though he doubted they had any sort of connection with them. The family consisted of a father, a mother, and their blonde daughter who was absentmindedly staring towards the closed caskets that held Chi and Maki respectively. Tears began to streak down her gentle round face as she hugged her mother seeking comfort.

This act greatly confused him and it made him realize that not all people in Konoha were mindless monsters. He felt the urge to comfort the young girl that seemed to be about 1 year younger than him, but decided against it feeling that it wasn't his place to do so.

The mother gently smiled when seeing his concern towards her daughter. Her smile reminded him of the many smiles that Maki and Chi always gave him when they tried to cheer him up. His mask of calmness threatened to crumble under the extreme sorrow he was feeling, but managed to control it.

He believed that if he cried it would only bring more sorrow towards the people that cared for him. Even though he believed that he didn't feel any anger towards the ones that did. It only brought him happiness that she had people that cared for her besides him.

He went and delivered his single white rose when it was time to do so. He lingered near the casket and gazed towards the picture that had both Chi and Maki. He finally whispered his final goodbyes towards the two, "Goodbye Maki-chan and Chi-chan I only hope that you two are having better lives somewhere. I am terribly sorry that I couldn't be there to protect you both and that is my greatest regret". His mask of impassiveness remained, but his eyes told another story as tears began to streak down his hardened face from the great sorrow he was feeling.

He walked back to his place and zoned out the Hokage's speech. He continued standing unmoving until he felt the people begin to leave the area signifying the event was completed. He bowed and thanked them one last time and walked towards the exit of the cemetery. He was unable to exit when the same beautiful blonde woman alongside her family came up to him and asked him a question. "Sorry to disturb you, but May I ask for your name".

Naruto continued gazing at the empty exit and answered, "Uzumaki Naruto", his tone devoid of any emotion.

The family recoiled at the mention of his name, but the adults managed to control their surprise. That didn't go the same with the young girl standing beside her mother as she pointed towards the white haired boy. "W-what do you mean y-you're Naruto-kun. You can't be him Naruto-kun always had blond hair yours is white". She continued to gawk at the young boy before her.

Her doubts went unanswered since her mother had settled her down as she gazed once again towards the white haired boy. "Sorry about that Naruto-san let me introduce us, I am Mio Yamanaka and this is my husband Inoichi Yamanaka and finally this confident young girl is my daughter Ino Yamanaka". She smiled towards the young boy who nodded in understanding.

Her eyes turned serious, "May I ask you a personal question Naruto-san? Naruto nodded in conformation, "Did you perhaps know the people that were murdered?

Naruto nodded and began to walk away, but not before freezing in place, "They were my _**friends**_ Mio-san".

The family saw the young man walk away as they stood shocked at the tone of his voice and couldn't help but frown that a young boy had to deal with so much pain so early on. The young 9 year old girl stood gazing towards the back of the white haired boy and felt a deep ache in her heart at his sadness. She wanted to do something to at least comfort him a bit, but she knew nothing about the guy so decided to let it go…for now.

_(3 hours later)_

**(Location on top of Hokage Mountains)**

Naruto could be seen sitting on top of the mountains absentmindedly gazing towards the village below him. The silence was broken when he felt a very familiar presence behind him, "I see you finally decided to show yourself Itachi-sensei". His tone lacked any sarcasm and was as cold as ever.

Itachi merely stood their carefully studying Naruto's emotion knowing what he was going through. "I had some business to take care of Naruto-kun, but that isn't important right now. It is time to begin your training and prepare you for the Chunin Exams".

Naruto remained calm as he continued gazing towards the village, "You do realize that I haven't even taken the genin exams yet right Itachi-sensei".

Itachi stood frozen, "Yes I realize, but do not concern yourself with that. I will make sure to bring you within a couple of months before the academy ends so that you can get your headband officially this time. Now that's not what I need to prepare you for; no I need to prepare you for the Chunin Exams where I am certain you will face some tough competition from all the five great nations.

Itachi's visage morphed into one of extreme seriousness, "And don't worry about Danzo-san Naruto-Kun once I am done with you I'm sure you will have no problem handling that monster".

Naruto stood up and gazed towards his master while revealing his fully mature sharingan to his sensei for the first time. "Then what are we waiting here for Itachi-sensei? Time is short in this world". The both disappeared in a flash with Itachi leaving behind a flock of crows and Naruto a bright blue flash. The Training for Naruto Uzumaki had begun and the creation of the strongest Shinobi that the Five Great Nations has ever seen was about to be born.


	15. Team Placements

_**A/N: Welcome my fellow reader I bring you another chapter to my story. Sorry for my tardiness but I had so much going on that I didn't have time to write so forgive me. alright enough about my excuses and enjoy the story and don't forget to REVIEW!**_

_(Two Years Later)_

**(Location Hidden Leaf Village)**

A young man could be seen sitting silently on the very top of the huge Hokage Mountains absentmindedly overlooking the peaceful village below him. The gentle cool air breezed through his long white locks as he sat calmly enjoying the brisk air that went through the crowded village. The young man adorned a simple jet black vest that was complimented by simple jet black cargo pants.

A small blade was discretely strapped to his back angled perfectly so that the user had the easiest time to secure it in the heat of battle. This young man's identity was non-other than the handsome young man named Uzumaki Naruto. These past two years had been spent fiercely training with the now known all over the world as the notorious murderer Uchiha Itachi.

The village known as Konoha has not been the same peaceful village that it once was ever since Itachi had singlehandedly massacred his entire clan for what seemed to be for greed. The average folks in the village wholeheartedly believed that Itachi had done that tragedy to his clan simply for the thrill of the kill.

However if one were to pry carefully into the matter you would understand that only the most powerful and influential people in the village knew the real reason behind his betrayal. They had deemed it there would be absolutely no leakage of the deal since they believed it would cause a riot in the village.

Of course he knew what the deal entailed since it wasn't that hard to figure out if you knew what to look for exactly. The higher-ups that included the Hokage known as Sarutobi Hiruzen the ninja revered as being the god of shinobi did not appear to suspect anything. If he somehow did know about his involvement in the matter then he assumed they left him alone since they had no real proof of it. Itachi as his sensei and master had informed him on what exactly he would be doing that night and warned him on the events to come.

_(Flashback)_

**(Location Konoha Cemetery)**

Naruto was hazily gazing towards the grave markers that marked Maki's and Chi's graves. In the past year he had come to the cemetery to remind himself of what needed to be done in order for his friends to be set free. He felt that he had learned much and gotten a lot stronger these past couple of years under the supervision of Itachi.

Sorrow plagued his heart at the thought of his friends not being there to witness his growth and his accomplishments. His view towards the world had become obscure and it made him realize that life as we know could end in an instant. No matter how much stronger you became you were never too far from the ever lingering death that everyday life could bring.

He brought his slim fingers forward and gently traced over the small letters engraved into the tombstone. He was about to plea for forgiveness like he had done all the past times he was there, but was interrupted when he felt a familiar chakra source coming towards him quickly.

He slowly retracted his arm from the tombstone and whispered, "Please forgive me my friends you will not be forgotten I promise". His voice devoid of any lies and only held the honest truth. His eyes slowly rose towards the night sky and gently shut them close feeling the gentle night breeze flow through the desolate graves.

His eyes slowly opened and quickly morphed into the ever familiar sharingan that the village prided themselves on. His eyes glowed demonic red almost making him appear to be the devil himself coming to feast on the dead. Saying his final farewells disappeared into the night leaving no trace he was there in the first place. He knew why Itachi had come since he had warned him about a month ago of what he needed to do in order for the Leaf to remain peaceful.

The Uchiha clan was steadily growing more and more frustrated with the way the village was being run. They felt like they were an embarrassment to the village when the Hokage had sanctioned them to the deepest corner of the village. The felt they lacked enough power even though the council had given them majority control over the Konoha police. Over the past several months the council saw that the Uchiha were growing restless and would soon rebel against the Leaf and betray them in greed of getting all the power to themselves.

Itachi however was strongly against this action knowing it would destroy the village and kill the whole clan if they were to rebel. Itachi desperately tried to deter the minds of the Uchiha away from rebelling and towards a more peaceful solution to avoid any unnecessary deaths. That was a futile attempt since the man that greatly influenced their decision was also his father that greatly despised the way he had succumbed to the fools that believed they had all the power.

Realizing there was no other way to save the village from destruction decided to take matters into his own two hands. He determinedly went to the man known as Sarutobi and told him of his plan. His plan entailed of killing his entire clan thus preventing the Uchiha Rebellion from ever happening. However the catch was that the Hokage would keep his precious baby brother Sasuke away from harm. If something were to happen to his brother he would return and slaughter every single person in the village.

The only thing that remotely mattered to Itachi was that his brother Sasuke would continue to live on and continue his legacy. The Hokage sorrowfully agreed to his offer since there really wasn't any other way for this to pan out. The tragic day of the Uchiha Massacre was just moments away and he would be one of the few witnesses at the bloodbath that his sensei was about to create.

He silently landed in a thick patch of grass and waited for his sensei to arrive. After several moments had passed he finally sensed him land behind him. He slowly turned his head towards him and was greeted with a fully Anbu uniformed Itachi expressionlessly gazing at him with his ever infamous sharingan. Naruto's eyes slightly widened at the difference in his sharingan and remembered being taught of the higher levels that the sharingan could achieve. He knew that the only way to get his sensei's sharingan would be to kill his best friend. Which of course he didn't have one.

Naruto brought his calm face towards Itachi's own and smirked, "It seems you were finally able to achieve those eyes neh Itachi-sensei".

Itachi merely continued watching him carefully not even bothering acknowledging that he had even heard him.

Naruto quickly composed himself seeing that his sensei wasn't in a chatty mood. His eyes narrowed and instinctively turned to his side and blocked a heavy kick from Itachi. He quickly back-flipped out of reach and quickly grasped his hands gathering chakra into as it produced an ear piercing sound. He quickly disappeared from sight and shot his electric filled hand towards Itachi.

His attack appeared to hit his body, but quickly had to recalculate when Itachi's body disassembled into crows. Naruto's eyes quickly honed in on Itachi's location and widened when recognizing his hand signs. He instinctively began forming the same hand signs as his sensei as they both shouted in unison, "Fire Style" Great Fireball Technique". Two enormous fireballs blasted out of their mouths and pounded against each other seemingly having the same power. That notion quickly was thrown out the window when Itachi's own fireball finally was able to engulf Naruto's own as it continued towards him now even stronger than before.

Naruto remained calm merely closing his eyes and as soon as he opened them his body exploded with lightning. It enveloped his entire body just in time as the enormous Fireball collided with his electric shield.

Itachi remained unmoving intently gazing towards the direction Naruto had been hit. His eyes slightly widened at the scene before him and couldn't help but admire the beautiful display Naruto was producing.

Naruto stood unmoving while his lightning shield roared alive scorching the ground around him. He prided himself on his mastery over his electricity and knew his shield was stronger than ever if not a bit stronger.

He had to admit it felt good being able to break out his signature lightning since it wasn't the main focus of his training. Itachi for the most part felt he needed to master his sharingan and train his body on how to properly utilize it to its fullest potential. As he progressed through the training he felt like without his sharingan he wasn't the same. Itachi quickly snapped him out of that state of mind and reminded him that simply having the sharingan didn't make you better than your opponent.

Naruto pumped even more lightning into his body and exploded out of sight appearing right in front of a calm Itachi who swiftly caught his punch and threw him over his shoulder. Naruto quickly recovered and immediately launched himself again and struck the floor where Itachi had been standing moments ago. The floor exploded and rippled with the electricity that was pumped into the ground. Naruto calmly brought his hand from the ground and gently put both hands together that seemed like he was praying.

Itachi narrowed his eyes and immediately recognized what he was going to do. He bolted towards him trying to stop him, but was a bit too late.

Naruto opened his eyes revealing a never before seen dark blue sharingan and quickly brought both his hands towards the ground. The air around them appeared to freeze as the ground followed as well spreading quickly all around him. The surprisingly quick ice tracked down its prey and froze Itachi just below the waist effectively stopping him. Naruto was breathing heavily after that display of power as his eyes reverted back to their normal red looking sharingan.

Itachi learned from Naruto that his unique blue sharingan gave him free will over the water molecules in the atmosphere. He had so much control over water when his blue sharingan was activated that he could literally freeze the entire village if he wanted to. That was terrifying in itself, but what truly frightened him was the mysteriousness behind those eyes he possessed. When he asked him when he had gotten them he told him that it was during the time that he was in Orochimaru's hideout. Since he didn't know how to willingly bring them out decided to give up on them all together and stopped trying.

However he returned to them right after Chi and Maki's death feeling that he needed to master them if he wanted to get stronger. Even though he has trained with them enough to bring them out whenever he wanted to. It still took him a bit of concentration to bring them forth and when he does manage to activate them it tires him out significantly. However when he does activate them he can instantly turn anything that has any kind of liquid inside of them into ice. He could literally freeze someone inside out if he wanted to, but the power behind them was all dependent on the wielders ability.

Naruto also learned that he didn't need the blue sharingan to create ice since he had a knack for it apparently. His eyes just magnified his control over water and made his ice abilities something to truly fear if you were to face him alone. Coupled with the standard sharingan and his control over electricity, he was truly a force to be reckoned with.

Naruto slowly recovered his breath and began to walk towards Itachi who was silently waiting for him to release him. Naruto put his open palm on the chilling ice as it quickly receded back into his body leaving a unharmed looking Itachi who was standing in place.

"So what do you think Itachi-sensei not bad for just two years of training huh? Naruto for the first time in quite some time showed some sort of emotion in the form of a tiny smirk. This was a very rare moment indeed since he was mostly serious in front of people and would only pay any attention when it came to him getting stronger.

Itachi remained as impassive as ever, "Yes I am very impressed with your skill over your elements Naruto-kun. Who knows in time you might even get stronger than me". Itachi's gaze hardened and his sharingan quickly morphed into the Magenkyou and whispered, "Tsukuyomi". This single phrase was enough to trap Naruto into his world where he made the rules, where he controlled who lived or died. This was his world, his domain, his territory.

**(Location Unknown World)**

Naruto appeared to be the only thing alive in the seemingly empty world he was currently trapped in. Even though he knew it was some sort of genjutsu his eyes couldn't break it no matter how hard he tried. This was the first time that he wasn't able to break one of Itachi's genjutsu's and it irritated him that he was once again powerless to do anything. He wandered the empty world for quite some time until Itachi suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Welcome to my world Naruto-kun. In this world I control everything that happens and if I desired it I could kill you in a split second, but of course that won't happen. Now onto the real reason I brought you here. As you know I am going to kill my entire clan soon, but I want you to promise me something".

Naruto was a bit confused on what that 'something' meant. "What could you possibly want from me Itachi-sensei"?

Itachi firmly grabbed his shoulders and gazed intently into his sharingan eyes. "Listen well Naruto-kun when I leave this village I will be joining a group of missing-nin. This group is known as Akatsuki and their main goal is to capture all tailed beasts. Since you contain the Kyuubi they will be actively searching for you and will hunt you down. So promise me you will get stronger while I am away and hopefully this worry will be all for nothing".

Naruto nodded not sure what to think with all this new information swarming around his mind, but trusted Itachi to readily agree with him. Even if Itachi wasn't here he would still aim to be the strongest. This just meant that he had even more motivation than before.

Itachi slowly released Naruto from his gentle grip and calmly released the world around them. Both of them were in the exact same position they were in a while ago. Itachi began to walk away from his student and gazed towards the bright full moon staring down on them. "Naruto-kun please take care of yourself and perhaps we will get to see each other again. Hopefully by then you will be much stronger". Upon saying his farewell words quickly disappeared into the night killing off all emotions for the tragedy that was about to unfold in the village of Konoha.

_(Flashback End)_

**(Location Hokage Mountains)**

He did not know if he would ever see Itachi again after that day, but he did not mind it that much since he still needed to find the people responsible for the murder of his friend's. It seemed that the people that had caused their demise had all but disappeared never to be seen again. Even though the odds were against him he felt that with enough devotion and training he would find them eventually and kill them for what they caused.

Ever since that day his heart had been filled with anguish and darkness and his pain had only heightened when he heard of the tragic news that concerned his precious friend Tayuya. He had listened in on rumors that the foul mouthed girl had got what she deserved.

Tayuya had been murdered by her supposed "Master" Orochimaru. That day would mark the time when he felt all hope for him on finding happiness again was gone. It hurt him so much he went on a blind rage on the people he thought responsible. He remembered tearing the entire forest as he desperately searched for the sliver of the entrance.

When he arrived he bellowed in anguish for the betrayers to come out and face their judgment, but all he received was nothing but the silent of the night. He was too late and Orochimaru had sensed him coming and had fled their hideout disappearing into the shadows never to be seen again.

He desperately tried to seek them out, but had ultimately failed once again to protect his friends. Her death was clearly his fault since he had gotten a small letter a few days later that had the words "Betrayer", written onto it. Meaning they had somehow heard his brief conversation with Itachi and true to their word acted on it resulting in the death of the innocent Tayuya.

Naruto's face was devoid of any emotion as he gently held a small silver locket that contained the only thing to remind him of Tayuya. He vowed to find her murderers and end them once and for all. He slowly let the small locket rest against his chest as he stood up and gazed meaninglessly towards the busy village below him. He began to slowly walk down the stairs with apparently no haste in his movements.

_(1 day later)_

**(Location Hokage Mansion)**

Naruto could be seen walking up the very familiar stairs heading towards the Hokages office. However he couldn't enter since he was stopped by the same woman that had done so years ago. He expressionlessly gazed onto the woman's eyes seeking for a reason on her stopping him from going in.

Even though the woman looked to be composed and calm in front of the intimidating Naruto she however was the polar opposite. She was slightly trembling from just being near Naruto's presence and it made her second guess her decision on stopping him from going in.

She mustered the courage to answer him and tried to speak in an even voice though she failed miserably. "I-I'm s-ssorry N-Naruto-san, but the Hokage is in a very important meeting right now and doesn't have time to see you until much later". The woman tried to keep her composure and beamed a very strained smile to the ever expressionless Naruto.

Naruto merely shrugged off her plain excuse and effortlessly activated his sharingan and unbeknownst to her put her in a basic genjutsu. The woman's eyes became blank and her voice grew monotonous as she escorted the bored looking Naruto towards the office doors and walked in. She waved Naruto in and introduced themselves, "Excuse us Hokage-sama, but Naruto-sama wants to have a word with you if you can". The woman spoke in a monotone voice giving away that she wasn't in control of her body to the average Chunin.

The Hokage of course picked up on her strange behavior since it had been numerous times that this exact situation had happened in the past two years. Before the massacre had happened Itachi would bring Naruto to report on their progress in regards to their training. Even though Itachi never failed to report his progress he always managed to leave it somewhat vague on what exactly they were training on. His keen instincts picked up that Itachi and Naruto were hiding something significant from him and the way his secretary would always allow Naruto to enter even though he had specifically told her not to.

The Hokage's eyes roamed from the secretary who was already excusing herself and stopped on Naruto's form. Naruto surprisingly didn't grow that much in the past two years and assumed that his earlier growth spurt was the cause of it. Even though he didn't grow much in height his body had grown significantly leaner. As a matter of fact if one were to examine Naruto carefully he disturbingly was an exact replica to the now infamous traitor of the Uchiha Clan.

The Hokage believed that only himself and his advisors were the only one that knew about the deal that he and Itachi had promised. Even though he strongly believed that he was still wary that Naruto was told by Itachi since they were student and master for the past two years. In any case there weren't any apparent signs that Naruto knew about their deal and had thus left it alone for now.

His every cunning eyes roamed towards Naruto's own eyes and was disturbed at how empty looking they seemed. He assumed that something awful had happened while out of his many travels with Itachi that had made him even more withdrawn than he was before. The Hokage tried his hardest to interact with the boy when he would visit him, but alas his friendliness fell on deaf ears. Naruto clearly didn't want any sort of relationship with the Hokage and he could guess the reason why. They had yet to locate the murderers of the Maki and Chi case and recently Danzo had fled the village to who knows where.

His disappearance happened about a year ago to this day when he didn't attend one of the councils meetings. Even though it took a lengthy amount of time and effort Danzo was officially named a missing-nin and was listed in the Konoha bingo books with a bounty of 1 million Ryo to whoever was to capture him alive.

Finishing with his thought beamed Naruto a forced smile and waved for him to sit in one of the comfy chairs in his office to which Naruto denied of course. Seeing Naruto wasn't in a chatty mood decided to get right to the point, "So Naruto-kun it seems that your time of training is officially over correct".

Seeing no reaction from the boy he sighed and reached for a small scroll located under his wooden desk and handed it to him. "Here take this Naruto-kun you'll need it if you want to graduate the academy since it's just about over. Do not worry about not being able to graduate I have handled the arrangements though some protested fiercely. I am sure that you can do the basic move required to graduate so don't worry on that front". The Hokage gave out a hefty laugh which went right through the bored looking Naruto who merely pocketed the small scroll into his small pocket on his vest.

The Hokage composed himself once more and intertwined his aging fingers gazing seriously towards Naruto. "Now Naruto-kun from here on out you are going to officially become a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. I assume you know what that entails and I hope you make the most out of it and become a fine shinobi that all the great nations will talk about.

We all have high hopes for you since you have been personally trained by what we consider one of the most powerful shinobi ever produced in this village". The Hokages tone grew dark, "I know you have experienced many hardships in your young life Naruto-kun, but I warn you do not continue on the current path you're treading on. Overcome that darkness that plagues your heart and triumph over it and become stronger from it. The hatred will only consume you if you keep going on that path understand Naruto-kun".

Naruto continued walking towards the office doors, but had to pause on the Hokage's last comment. His features unknown to the Hokage grew dark causing his sharingan to begin to spin wildly while feeding off his pain. "Hokage-sama I advise you to keep your pity to yourself and understand there is no going back from what I experienced in this cruel world". Naruto silently stepped out of the office and disappeared into the afternoon lights.

Naruto's words lingered heavily in the office and the Hokage couldn't help but sigh in frustration. Sarutobi was indeed worried for Naruto's well-being, but what he was really worried about was the safety of the other students around him. He knew Naruto had grown much stronger these past few years, but just how strong he wasn't sure. He was easily stronger than your average genin perhaps even Chunin, but the thought that he could be on par with a Jounin's strength worried him greatly. Add that to the mysteriousness of his powers made it even more worrisome. He just hoped that whoever the people he was assigned to wouldn't return to him fried from his electricity.

_(2 days later)_

**(Location near the Konoha Academy)**

Naruto was seen calmly walking down the hall of the Academy heading straight towards the room that the small scroll mentioned. He was ready to get this day over with and climb the ranks as fast as possible so that he could hunt down his enemies more easily. His other small goal was to change the way the village treated the people with no background or family. He knew they were hundreds of children that were alone in this world just praying that someone would lend a small hand. However people in general were cruel only wanting to help themselves.

He wanted to be their savior and help them find someone in life just like the people that he was lucky enough to have made friends with. They made him want to continue to live on this cruel world and if it weren't for them he wouldn't be in this situation right now. He knew that this was just a stepping stone for things to come and realized that there were many more hardships to face. However the only thing on his mind was to pass the exam and get his headband.

That goal was stopped momentarily when a generic looking Chunin was standing guard near the door not allowing anyone to enter or leave until the exam was over with. He saw Naruto approach and stopped him, "Hey kid you can't enter this room. The room behind me is having an important exam going on and they need the best environment if they hope to become genin understand".

Naruto merely unhooked one of his front pockets on his vest and took out a small scroll and handed it to the confused Chunin. Once seeing that it was indeed official excused himself and allowed him to enter and continued to guard the door not expecting any more special cases like that one.

Naruto silently closed the door behind him as his eyes roamed the empty classroom and wondered where exactly they were taking their exams. His eyes caught the glow of chakra coming from the small training ground in the Academy. He silently walked towards the open door and was greeted with dozens of excited young ninja looking forwards to getting there headband. The exam was pretty simple all you needed to do was create a clone of yourself. If you were able to do that you were considered to be a genin.

His eyes caught the sight of a familiar blonde that was happily chatting with some of her kunochi friends that included one with strange looking pink hair and another one with oddly pale looking eyes. He had always wondered what had become of ino these past two years. He really couldn't know since he was always busy training with Itachi sometimes away from the village.

His eyes roamed towards the familiar looking raven haired boy nonchalantly ignoring the many female ninja that were fawning over his amazing skills. He knew that Sasuke wanted to kill his sensei. It made him realize that he was exactly like him in terms of goals, but unlike Sasuke Naruto never had a family. It made him anxious on finding out what sort of power Sasuke could obtain as he grew older. Since he was related to the powerful Itachi he had so much to live up to.

His eyes roamed towards the remaining people carefully noting his potential opponents he might have to face in the coming months. He learned to be extra vigilant on his surroundings no matter how safe it seemed from Itachi. At first he felt that being too cautious was meaningless, but as the time went by he knew this carefulness would save his life someday.

His ears perked up when a friendly looking Chunin spoke up. "Alright guys and girls settle down I know your excited, but do try to be professional about this. Now if you pass this test you will officially become genin of the hidden leaf village and must vow to protect it with your life". The surrounding kids looked determined while they listened to their favorite teacher preach.

The scar faced man's eyes roamed across his kids seeing their will of fire burning fiercely inside of them. His eyes narrowed when he spotted a black clad young man gazing ominously at his students. He quickly dashed towards him and readied kunai to the man's throat wanting to know the reason behind him being there.

The kids gasped when seeing their teacher raise his kunai at an innocent looking kid. "Iruka-sensei what are you doing? Why are you raising your kunai at him? Is he perhaps an enemy? Several kids shouted in confusion when seeing their teacher dangerously raising his Kunai at the person's throat.

The man now known as Iruka merely ignored his students and faced the mysterious looking man who was surprisingly calm even though his situation looked dire. Iruka clenched his teeth and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here during these kids tests? Are you perhaps here to kill them? If you are just know that I will not go easy on you and will kill you without hesitation". Even though he said that his body told another story. He was clearly trembling in place not sure what would happen if he failed, but was surprised when the mysterious young man simply pulled out a scroll and handed it to him.

Iruka hesitantly opened it and widened his eyes at the contents of the scroll. He quickly removed the kunai from his throat and began to apologize profusely. "I am so sorry for greeting you like this. It's that the Hokage never informed that you would be arriving today. You must understand that you appearance here was a little suspicious right". He chuckled at the situation and scratched his nose in embarrassment.

Naruto merely waved his concern, "Do not worry about such trivial things Iruka-san. Now can we get down to business and give me the exam". His tone seemed bored just wanting to get the test over with so that he could go.

Iruka stopped laughing and nodded, "Sure sure and I know it's kind of late, but could you please introduce yourself to my students and your fellow comrades".

Naruto nodded and gazed evenly towards the surrounding shinobi while his gaze lingered a bit more on the surprised looking face of ino. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto pleased to meet you". He bowed in respect surprising them on his manners. While the girls were busily blushing at how cool their new classmate was the guys were a whole other story. There first impression of this guy was that he was hiding something and that he was too cool to be true.

Some of the more rude looking boys pointed out Naruto's white hair, "How in the world can you be a kid with hair as white as my grandpas. Do you have some kind of disease that makes you grow older fast or something? The boys were met with glares by most of the Kunochi making them regret what they said.

Naruto began to walk towards the boys that called him out making them tremble with every step he took. He finally neared the trembling boys and quickly grabbed them from their collar and banged them against each other rendering them unconscious. The girls gasped at his actions, but quickly squealed at how cool they thought he was.

The boys sighed at the way the girls were acting towards the newly met classmate who had just knocked out two of the best student in here without breaking a sweat.

Iruka sweat dropped at Naruto's actions and waved for all the students to go inside to begin their exam. "Alright kids let head inside and get the exam over with shall we".

Most of the students yelled in happiness that they were finally going to take the exams and become a ninja. Naruto calmly walked towards the open door while all the other ran to it. Well except Sasuke who was carefully eyeing him feeling there was something familiar with him. They finally arrived and took their seat while Naruto stood in front of the class waiting for further instructions.

Iruka saw this and began to look for empty seats for Naruto to sit at. He pointed to one behind a blond girl with a purple outfit, "For the moment sit behind Ino-san and well begin with the test alright".

Naruto nodded and slowly made his way towards ino who was desperately trying to avoid direct eye contact with him. He quietly sat in his desk and expressionlessly gazed towards the teacher that was going on about how important being a shinobi was as so forth. He didn't really want to listen to his preaches since he had first experience on how cruel the world could be if you weren't careful. He realized that the students in here had no idea what the real world would bring and it made him angry that they had such an easy life compared to him.

His eyes noticed the form of ino who was trying her hardest not to turn around, but she failed of course.

She slowly turned around and beamed the sweetest smile towards him making him a little uncomfortable at her friendliness. "Hey there Naruto-kun long time no see huh? She nervously laughed while talking to the guy that she wanted to meet for the longest time. When he didn't show up for the first couple of months in the academy she had all but given up that he would ever show up. She asked her parents on the reason that he wasn't there and all they could give was a _'I don't know'._

Naruto was unsure on how to respond to her friendliness so decided to bring out the smile knowing it would work. "Yeah ino-chan it has been a long time huh, but I'm glad that I at least know someone in here right". He was confused on the way ino was madly blushing, but couldn't go into more detail when Iruka told ino to settle down.

Iruka went down the list of students making them stand up and perform the simple act of replicating themselves. His eyes lingered on the Uchiha as he walked confidently towards the front of the class. He easily pulled off the move making a perfect clone of Iruka.

Iruka smiled and happily wrote down the results on a small clip board, "Very good Sasuke-kun that's perfect". He waved for him to take a seat and proceeded to call the next person, "Umm Ino Yamanaka please come here and perform your exam".

Ino jumped a bit at the mention of her name, but quickly recovered and headed down the small stairs and began to perform the basic seal required. She successfully produced a perfect carbon copy of Iruka. Iruka smiled and told her to return to her seat which she happily did. She looked towards Naruto and blushed when she saw him smiling towards her recognizing her achievement. She quickly sat down and tried her best to calm herself and her beating heart.

Iruka called several others which they of course easily passed and finally called on him to come. "Naruto Uzumaki please come towards the front and perform the jutsu".

Naruto silently got and began to walk towards the front, but not before being given a "good luck" from the ever smiling ino. Naruto smirked at her enthusiasm and felt slightly better at being in this school even if it only was for a day. He finally arrived and without a word produced a perfect copy of himself, but the difference between his and all the rest was that his were lightning clones.

Iruka was shocked that a student could produce this and was about to ask how he did this, but was unable to since Naruto had begun to answer him. "As you can see from my clone Iruka-san this is my power. I am able to perfectly control lightning and thus being able to produce a lightning clone". He stated matter of factly which confused the students and amazed several others.

A certain pineapple haired kid raised his hand to ask a question, "This is a drag, but how in the world did you learn to do that you barely entered our class". He asked while several others agreed with his statement.

Naruto sighed and explained wanting to get this over with, "As I told Iruka-san here this is my power. This is my bloodline limit like you have your shadows".

The pineapple haired boy narrowed his eyes on him knowing his family's clan jutsu, "How did you know that I was a Nara? He asked clearly suspicious on the guy in front of him.

Naruto smirked which made several of the students flinch, "I know a lot of things in my travels and I'll leave it at that".

Seeing he wasn't going to truthfully answer him decided to let the subject drop and was going to ask his family about him.

Seeing they were done for the moment Iruka told Naruto to take a seat and await the end of the exam. Several more minutes passed when finally all the students had finished taking the test. He brought out several leaf headbands and began to hand them out to the passing students.

Once finishing with that Iruka told all the students to sit down once again so that he could assign team placements. "Alright since you are now freshly graduated genin you will be assigned to a three part team and will be given a sensei". Most of the students were surprised with this information, but that didn't surprise Naruto since Itachi had told them how it worked.

"Alright Team 7 will include Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Choji Akimichi. That team will be led by Kakashi Hatake". Sasuke looked as bored as ever while Sakura was cheering her heart out that she had gotten her wish. While Choji was busily eating some chips disappointed that he didn't get teamed up with his best friend Shikamaru.

"Alright settle down Sakura-san lets continue shall we. Team 8 will include Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, and Shino Aburame. That team will be led by Yuhi Kurenai". A guy with a small dog on his head yelled in determination, "All right we will kick everyone's ass right Akamaru". The small pup barked in happiness. Hinata looked as serious as ever like she has been since she began training with her father. Shino meanwhile merely nodded not saying a word.

Team 10 will include Uzumaki Naruto, Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru Nara. That team will be led by Asuma Sarutobi". Naruto narrowed his eyes at the sound of his sensei's last name, _'it seems like the old man wants to keep an eye on me huh. Well I don't particularly mind since I at least have someone to share my pain with neh ino-chan'._ Ino looked like she could burst at being chosen to be in Naruto's team, _'Yes than you Kami for putting me with Naruto-kun now I can get to know him better and make up for the last couple of years that I missed out on'._

Iruka finished the team assignments and informed the class to wait for their respective Jounin sensei's. Each team gathered and began to chat while they waited for their sensei's. Naruto however remained seated in place while his mind was busily in thought_. 'I wonder how my sensei will be like and I am kind of disappointed that I wasn't assigned with Sasuke's team so that I could keep track on his progress'._ He smirked, _'At least I got a competent team that includes the Heir of the Nara which I heard was a genius from Itachi and also Ino who seems to be nice to talk to. It seems that I won't be miserable through my genin years this could get very interesting neh Itachi-sensei'._

_**A/N: and done boy that took me quite a while. If you have any questions regarding Naruto's current power or my decision on team placements please type it in a review and I will try to answer them in the next chapter or in a private message. Until next time Black Crow out!**_


	16. Secret Revealed

_**A/N: Surprise I bring you another chapter since you guys are so awesome. The real reason was that I felt that I owed you guys for having to wait so long for my last chapter. So please enjoy this chapter and don't forget to REVIEW!**_

_(2 hours later)_

**(Location inside Academy Classroom)**

Naruto and his team were still waiting for their Jounin sensei to arrive and pick them up to begin their genin journey. Now they weren't the only ones that were waiting for their sensei, Sasuke's team was also waiting as well. At first glance Sasuke seemed to be bored out of his freaking mind, but if one were to look closely enough you could catch the small glances directed at him.

He was probably curious about him, but that wasn't his problem now was it. The female Kunochi of the their group named Sakura Haruno was happily sitting next to the raven haired boy thoroughly enjoying her time with him. From what he could gather from the subtle signals he knew that his pink haired teammate had a huge crush on Sasuke, but from what he could tell he didn't feel the same way as her.

Meanwhile their other teammate appeared to be neutral on the whole matter since he was happily occupied with his best friend Shikamaru. He also seemed to eat a lot from his virtually unlimited supply of chips that kept appearing out of nowhere. He knew that Shikamaru was suspicious of him since he knew so much even though they had barely met each other. It wasn't like it was that hard to figure out that Shikamaru was a member of the Nara Clan.

I mean don't all Nara's have that bored out of their mind sort of look. Aren't they well known in the village to be incredibly lazy, but if they really tried on whatever they were doing. They could become your worst nightmare with their incredible strategic thinking of theirs. He knew that Shikamaru was hiding his true potential perhaps not wanting to attract any unwanted attention towards himself. If that were to happen then it would actually make him have to try for the first time in his brief life.

Now it brings him to his last teammate that was happily sitting next to him much like Sakura. She was busily chatting to him about who knows what since he really wasn't paying too much attention to her. His first thought about her was that Ino could talk A lot and I mean A lot.

Now it wasn't like it was a total waste of air since she talked about what her home life was like and other things relating to her. Now he pretty much new Ino was important in her clan, but now he had proof that Ino was in fact the Heir of the Yamanaka Clan. She also seemed to really enjoy talking with him even though they had only met once during the funeral. At least she was trying to get to know him as a person unlike his other suspicious teammate that was just eyeing him like he was the enemy even though they were supposed to work together eventually.

The other thing he noticed that probably the other didn't was that they were being watched by them. He could feel the stares on them even though he couldn't see them he knew they were studying them or more specifically "him".

He visibly frowned, _'Stupid old man constantly watching my every moves. Doesn't he realize that it's incredibly annoying to have someone watch your every movement'? _Now he wasn't a naïve child to believe that they trusted him. No he knew they didn't and he didn't blame them for being suspicious since he was trained by Itachi no less.

Naruto unconsciously began to release a very intense killing intent in the room making all the others slightly gasp for breathe. They looked all around them wanting to find out what was causing this horrible feeling. They found there answer in the form of Naruto's body crackling with a bit of electricity from the direct result of his anger rising. They were all in awe of his display of power and were now sure that he wasn't lying about his power.

Naruto sensed the glares and quickly calmed himself down resulting in his electricity to evaporate. He felt a sudden warmth on his hand and was shocked to see a worried looking ino that most likely wanted to know what plagued his mind.

She uncharacteristically looked down and spoke towards him in almost a whisper. "Hey Naruto-kun do you like my company or do I find you annoying perhaps? If I am please tell me since I've gotten that a lot actually so it would hurt my feeling if you did". The blonde Kunochi beamed a strained smile feeling stupid for believing that Naruto would actually be interested in her. She was shocked when she witnessed Naruto put his own warm hands over hers and gazed directly into her own blue eyes making her blush a bit.

"Don't worry about me ino-chan, just know that I will never hate you for something so trivial alright. I mean it would be pretty stupid of me to hate the only female on my team right". He beamed her a smile of his own that made her chest tighten a bit. His smile quickly morphed into one of seriousness, Hey ino-chan do you perhaps know Shikamaru a lot? If you do can you tell me a bit more about him if that doesn't bother you of course".

Ino quickly snapped out of her state like trance and gave Naruto a confused look. She wanted to find out why Naruto was so interested in their pineapple hair shaped teammate. She regained her composure realizing that Naruto was dead serious in wanting to find out about him and it made her happy that he asked her for information. "W-well I know for a fact that Shikamaru is a genius. He just doesn't bother to try on anything. I suppose it runs in the family right".

She sighed at Shikamaru's laziness since she had known him probably her whole life since their fathers were pretty close to each other being teammates and all. "I suppose I could tell you that he's a really great guy if you can get passed his laziness". She leaned closer towards him and whispered, "Also he has this weird jutsu that can trap you in his shadow if you're caught and can control your movements". She shivered at the thought of being caught in his jutsu and being forced to give control of her body to some random person.

Naruto nodded pretty much knowing most of the stuff that ino had told him. However it was refreshing being told this kind of information from someone that actually knew him personally. He nudged his head towards the guy that was happily munching on his fourth bag of chips. "What can you tell me about the guy that's constantly eating ino-chan"? He asked interested on finding out what kind of bond those too had.

Ino's blue eyes followed his gaze and sighed at the person he was mentioning. "Oh that's just Choji. It's exactly what it looks like Naruto-kun those two are inseparable. They've been friends ever since they were small and have stayed that way all these years".

Naruto nodded feeling they had that kind of bond and it made him think back on his own friendship with Maki, Chi, and Tayuya. His features hardened when thinking about them, but quickly regained his calmness not wanting to wallow in his own self-pity anymore.

Ino of course picked up on his switch of emotion, but decided it was best to leave him be for the moment assuming he was thinking about his lost friends. She honestly believed that she was one of the few people that had any idea he had lost such precious people so early in life. She actually prided herself on knowing at least some things relating to him even though they were unpleasant. However she felt like she was an outsider looking in not really knowing anything about him besides that painful event. She also wondered why he had just come to the academy now even though it had started years ago.

"Hey Naruto-kun can you tell me the reason towards you just coming to the academy so late now. I would've thought that you would have attended since the beginning. What were you doing all this time anyways? Ino asked intrigued on what exactly had become of Naruto all these years.

Naruto's eyes wandered from the duo that was a Shikamaru and Choji towards the curious eyes of his blonde blue eyed teammate. He intently gazed at her, "All you need to know ino-chan is that I have been training hard while I was away just for this moment. So don't worry about me being weak if that was your concern".

Ino's eyes widened at being called out on her hidden question and desperately tried to redeem herself to him. "N-no Naruto-kun that wasn't the reason I asked. I know you're powerful by the way you easily took care of those fools in the training ground". She sighed, "I was just curious on what you were doing all this time that's all". Her shoulder drooped in defeat. She was snapped out of that mood by the gentle hand that carefully stroked her round face.

"I know what you're trying to say ino-chan it's just so fun that I couldn't pass up a chance to tease you don't you think so? He laughed at ino priceless reaction.

Ino puffed up her cheeks and looked away from the smiling Naruto. "Geez Naruto-kun is this the way you treat me for hanging out with you". Her pout quickly deflated when hearing Naruto get out of his seat. She saw him walk straight towards the door apparently waiting for something to happen. At first she was confused along with the rest of the class, but then they understood when a large man with a cigarette lazily stood watching them.

The man had a standard green Jounin flak jacket complimented with dark blue pants. He also had a small handkerchief that had the symbol of fire neatly etched into it. The bearded man was bombarded by the numerous stares directed at him. He sighed and took a puff out of his dwindling cigarette, "Alright my name is Asuma Sarutobi so if you were assigned to my team meet me in training ground 10 understood". He lazily turned around and was greeted with the figure of Naruto that was carefully watching him. _'How in the hell did this kid get in front of me so fast!_

His eyes carefully examined the boy's own eyes that showed that he had experienced many terrifying terrors during his brief life. He was still confused on the reason he was given Naruto for his team by the old man of course, but he didn't deny him when he was asked if he wanted him on his team.

_(Flashback 10 minutes before team placements)_

**(Location Hokage Office)**

Inside the office were some of the most distinguishable shinobi that Konoha has ever produced. This included Asuma Sarutobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, and Anko Mitarashi. Unsurprisingly Kakashi Hatake was nowhere to be seen and they decided they weren't going to wait for him to show up. "So these are the fresh bait that are going to go through my tests in a couple of months… interesting". A pupil-less woman in a tan overcoat completed with a full body mesh suit disturbingly licked her lips at the potential she saw especially from the blonde haired kid.

The woman known as Kurenai Yuhi shivered at Anko's display of affection, "Learn to control your desires Anko-san these are student you're talking about". The red eyed woman's outfit consisted of red mesh armor blouse with only the right sleeve visible while her hands and upper thighs were wrapped in bandages.

The snake mistress just blew the close minded Kurenai off and continued to greedily gaze at the monitor that displayed the blonde haired boy. "Hey old man is that the kid you were talking about a couple of weeks ago". She asked clearly interested on wanting to find more about him. At first glance she realized that this kid was no ordinary brat. He acted like he had a lot of experience if his body language was anything to go for.

The aged Hokage known as Sarutobi deeply inhaled the smoke in his pipe and exhaled deeply while gazing at the screen like all the Jounin in the room were doing. "You are correct Anko-san that is Naruto. That is the boy that trained for two years under the traitor known as Uchiha Itachi".

The people located inside the Hokage office visibly flinched at the mention of that traitor's name. The one to speak up was of course none other than the ice queen of Konoha known as Kurenai. "Hokage-sama care to explain why that boy was trained by him. I mean since when did Itachi begin to train anybody. How come you never informed us about this important information? She asked clearly intrigued to his reason on keeping his training a secret from them.

The powerful Hokage exhaled once again and sighed, "Well the reason is quite simple if you think about it Kurenai. You see I had no obligation to tell you what the boy was doing since quite honestly when was the last time you even cared to find how he was doing".

The group of Jounin gathered around the office seemed to avoid his gaze meaning that his assumption was dead on. He sighed once again, "This is exactly the reason that I didn't even care to mention it to you guys, but enough about the past".

Kurenai gathered her composure again and asked the aged Hokage another question. "Hokage-sama can you explain why exactly did Itachi even bother to teach the boy at all. What exactly did Itachi see in him that we didn't".

The Hokage continued to gaze at the modest screen and sighed, "I honestly couldn't tell you the reason Kurenai-san even if I wanted to. Itachi's exact words were that Naruto-kun held a lot of potential in him and that he would expose that potential and train him". He walked towards his desk and brought out countless notes that had Naruto's training report hand written by Itachi himself. He handed them several reports and waited for their response.

Of course Kurenai was the one to speak on behalf of all of them. "Hokage-sama can you explain why these reports are so vague considering he was training with him these past two years?

Anko decided to pitch in what she thought on the matter, "Yeah old man what gives I mean these reports don't tell you shit about what they did. Did you really allow this to keep going for two years?

The Hokage nodded, "I'm afraid that Itachi said that those reports was all I needed to know about his progress and that he didn't need to worry about Naruto-kun".

The Jounin narrowed their eyes at the very vague excuse, "Hokage-sama has the demon inside him reacted at all? Kurenai asked wanting to find out as did the other Jounin's.

The Hokage negatively nodded, "No I have not seen any indication that he even knows about it. That assumption might be wrong since I haven't really talked to Naruto one on one since he won't let me in".

The Hokage retrieved back the report and stored them away, "Now I believe it's finally time to pick the students for each sensei. So do any of you have any one your particularly interested in? Sarutobi smiled when seeing Kurenai raise her hand.

"Hokage-sama I believe my teaching styles would most suit the following students, Kiba Inuzuka for his sense of smell, Hinata Hyuga for her Byakugan, and Shino Aburame for his bugs. I believe this team would be the best for tracking don't you agree Hokage-sama".

The Hokage had to agree with the red eyed Jounin, "Yes Kurenai-san that would be the best possible team for someone such as yourself so I grant you permission to pick them". His gaze turned towards his son who looked bored at being here, "So Asuma do you have anyone in particular to choose from?

Asuma merely continued smoking carefully thinking on who to pick from the bunch. He knew that he wanted Shikamaru on his team since he was probably the smartest of the whole lot. He was also leaning towards Ino since they had already some sort of friendship between them so it would serve well in team building. What he wasn't sure was if he needed to include Choji into the group. That would officially make the ino-shika-cho trio like their respective fathers were known for. However his current mindset had his eyes set on the mysterious young blonde that seemed to surprisingly have a friendship with ino.

Add that to the fact the kid was so mysterious on what exactly he knew since he had trained with Itachi after all. If he chose Naruto he didn't know what to expect from him unlike Choji which he had a pretty good idea on what he was capable at.

Hiruzen saw his indecision and decided to answer for him, "Asuma I believe Naruto-kun should be added to your team in place of Choji.

Asuma was slightly shocked that his old man knew exactly what he was mulling over. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "Do you perhaps have another reason for me to get Naruto-san Hokage-Sama?

The aged Hokage smirked at his son's cunningness, "Why yes I do actually. I want you to watch him and figure out what exactly he is hiding from us, but do not force it either. Make him trust you enough to reveal his powers and maybe we might steer him away from his current path that could only lead to misery".

Asuma scoffed at such an underhanded solution, but still agreed with the old man. "Fine old man I will go with your plan just don't expect me to do your job for you alright. Heck we might be all surprised with what he knows and how powerful he really is".

_(Flashback End)_

**(Location inside academy classroom)**

Asuma was lazily standing while Naruto was watching carefully in front of him. He saw Naruto move out of his way and headed towards his teammates. Asuma walked towards the open door and waved goodbye, "Don't be late alright".

The rest of the class were still stupefied on how in the world had Naruto gotten in front of Asuma so quickly. They didn't even see it happen even though they had been watching him the whole time.

Naruto walked slowly back to his seat and waved for ino and Shikamaru to follow him, "Come on ino-chan let's got meet our sensei". He began walking towards the door and waved for Shikamaru as well, "I suppose you should come as well Shikamaru". Ino immediately jumped from her seat and happily followed behind Naruto while Shikamaru was a bit hesitant in following.

"Tch, who named you the leader Naruto? I don't believe we ever voted on it if my mind is correct".

Naruto and Ino continued to walk, "Do what you want just don't go crying to me when you're the one that gets failed from not showing up to your first team meeting".

Shikamaru sighed and began to walk towards the door, "Man this is such a drag why do I get the most annoying teammate that thinks he's better than everyone else".

Sasuke gazed carefully towards the lazy Shikamaru interlocking his fingers and decided to give him a piece of advice surprising everyone. "Shikamaru I suggest you stay away from that guy. I can sense something strange coming from him and I know he could take us on without breaking a sweat. That guy is dangerous watch out".

The classroom stood in awe from Sasuke actually saying that someone was actually stronger than him. His pink haired teammate protested his assumption, "W-what do you mean Sasuke-kun he can't possibly be stronger than you could he? All of them had a similar train of thought with the pink haired Sakura.

The raven haired boy continued to gaze towards the empty door where Naruto and Ino had exited, "I believe that he is powerful, but is hiding it from us somehow. Just look at the way his whole body erupted in electricity that is not normal with an average genin is it".

The remaining students nodded in agreement making the pineapple haired Shikamaru sigh, "Man this is such a drag I get bumped with the talkative ino and with the crazy Naruto sigh this is just my luck isn't it".

_(10 minutes later)_

**(Location Training Grounds 10)**

The three of them were currently sitting under a huge tree that provided them with plenty amount of shade from the overbearing heat of the sun. Ino was quickly losing her patients on their sensei never showing up even though he said to meet him here. "What the hell is taking him so long to show up! Wasn't he the one to tell us not to be late and he's the one that's late what a hypocrite right Naruto-kun". The blonde looked over to the bored looking Naruto that was gazing at nothing in particular.

Naruto looked over towards Ino who was patiently waiting for his response, "Yes I agree with you ino-chan, but please try to be more patient it would make this experience much less irritating don't you agree Shikamaru".

Shikamaru was brought out of his boredom by Naruto's question that surprisingly he actually agreed with. "Yeah ino if you would be quite for just a minute then all this wouldn't be so bad. I am sure he will show up sooner or later just be patient and play with your hair or something". He returned to his cloud gazing while ino actually shut up for once making him worry for his well-being.

Naruto saw Ino's defeated look and decided to cheer her up a bit, "Don't be sad ino-chan I actually enjoy your company unlike that guy who is such a downer".

Ino visibly perked up at his comforting and smiled, "Thanks Naruto-kun". Her face turned into one of curiosity at something sparkling in Naruto neck. "Hey Naruto-kun what do you have on your neck. Is that a necklace?

Naruto gently grabbed the small silver locket and adopted a faraway look when remembering his past memories. "This was actually a gift from one of my good friends in another village. These other ones are from my other friends I made here in this village".

Shikamaru noticed his tone of voice, "What do you mean was Naruto aren't they here in this village? Shikamaru's naïve question angered ino, but couldn't really blame him since he had no idea what had happened to him.

Naruto's face became sorrowful, "Actually Shikamaru they are no longer here in this world. They were murdered a couple of year ago.

The air surrounding them went silent as Shikamaru finally understood why Naruto was the way he was. He slowly laid his head down on the soft patch of grass around the tree and continued to watch the clouds slowly pass by. "Me and Ino are now your friends Naruto so please trust us alright. We will become the best team out of all of them even though it's such a drag to work so hard".

Ino smiled at Shikamaru's words and curiously looked at Naruto that was absentmindedly looking towards the sky. "I appreciate your concern Shikamaru and I promise you all one thing. If you're with me I will never let you down no matter what we're doing. Since after all I trained my whole life for these kinds of moments so I will not fail you". He brought his fist towards his heart, "I promise you all".

Both Ino and Shikamaru looked towards Naruto in a new light and were excited on what the future would bring. Their conversation was cut short when their Jounin sensei finally decided to show up and actually begin whatever he planned on doing.

He was surprised to be greeted by them talking so nonchalantly even though he saw just a minute ago that Naruto and Shikamaru were at a cross ends. "Alright guys good to see you made it in time".

Ino was the one to talk up for them, "You're telling us sensei where the hell were you this whole huh? Ino put both her hands on both hips and waited for his answer making Naruto chuckle remembering a similar scene before.

The man known as Asuma simply scratched his head and chuckled, "All you need to know is that I am here that's all".

Ino then adopted a smug look as she crossed her hands across her modest chest, "Don't tell me you were escorting Kurenai-sensei to her team were you? Her confidence grew even more when seeing their sensei's jaw drop open.

Asuma desperately tried to avoid the topic, "Don't be silly Ino why would I take Kurenai to her team. If I did it was only meant out of friendship alright".

Shikamaru was the one to respond this time, "Come on Asuma-sensei we all know that there is something going on between the both of you. We're not kids anymore so drop the act alright. Man this is such a drag even though we haven't even started".

Asuma was in awe that he was found out so quickly by mere genin, but he supposed that Shikamaru was right and they weren't kids anymore. His gaze lingered on their smug looking faces especially Ino's, but then roamed to the other blonde that was carefully watching him not smiling at all even though this was a pretty hilarious situation. Well not for him since it was embarrassing, but for ino and Shikamaru it was pretty funny.

He decided to call out the boy, "Hey you kid what's with the stare huh? Even though Asuma called him out like that his visage never changed as he remained as calm as he was before.

Naruto merely continued to glare at his sensei, "Can we begin whatever your plan on doing. We have been waiting quite a while and I got some stuff to do after this. So if you don't mind I would greatly appreciate it".

His calm looking face agitated him a bit since it reminded him of Itachi's when he worked with him a couple of years ago. He finished his cigarette and threw it on the floor, "Tch, fine kid". He walked over to the front of the group and sat down. "Alright gather around and well begin with a brief introduction of you all since I don't know much about you". His statement was really intended at Naruto.

Naruto surprisingly spoke up, "Sensei we don't know much about you as well. All we know is your name. Why don't you give us an example will you".

Asuma nodded and took out another cigarette, "Alright kid you make a good point. Alright my name is Asuma Sarutobi; I like all kinds of cigarettes. I hate people that constantly tell me I'm going to die younger if I smoke even though I have more chance dying in the enemies' hands. My dreams, well I don't really have any particular dreams right now. Well I gave you a brief introduction now you all do the same alright".

He pointed towards the laziest one in the group, "You lazy guy get up and introduce yourself won't you".

Shikamaru sighed and lazily stood up following his sensei's orders, "Alright my name is Shikamaru Nara. I like to watch the clouds moving since it brings me peace. I hate people that always tell me I'm wasting my time doing nothing. My dream I suppose it to take over my Clan". He quickly sat down after finishing his brief introduction.

Asuma nodded and turned his gaze towards the blonde Kunochi of the group, "You the blonde in the purple dress please introduce yourself". He chuckled at Ino pout at being called out.

She quickly stood up and wiped the small dirt from her purple dress, "Alright my name is Ino Yamanaka. I like to go shopping with friends and have a good time. I hate people that think there above others. My dream is to inherit my clan's jutsus and eventually take over my father's role". She quickly sat down much like her teammate and happily smiled.

Asuma nodded pretty much knowing that they would be somewhat similar in wanting to become clan heads. It was only natural to want to surpass their father's right. His eyes roamed towards the blonde male of the group and narrowed his eyes at his apparent lack of enthusiasm on what they were doing. He smirked and threw the blunt end of the Kunai towards him. His smirk however quickly fell when his kunai simply dropped to the floor.

Naruto's eyes moved towards his sensei's confused face and began his introduction. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. The things I enjoy is training and getting stronger. I hate people that look down on others just because of their status in their village. I have many dreams and I don't feel like sharing them with you". His brief introduction quickly ended as he continued to watch the empty bright sky for no particular reason.

Ino frowned at Naruto's introduction as well did the rest of the team. Ino looked towards their sensei as he had gotten up.

Asuma looked towards his students and was already regretting having Naruto in their team, _'As Shikamaru would say this is going to be such a drag if Naruto continues to act that way'. _He walked towards the empty area in the training ground and waved for his students to follow him. "Alright I will now measure your individual strengths. So try your best and give it your all. Don't worry about hurting me since I am a Jounin after all". He reassured the worried Ino who didn't appear to want to participate in his little idea.

Ino was the first to spar with their sensei and for the most part it went exactly like he planned. He knew that Ino lacked the raw physical strength that most Kunochi struggled in, but at least she tried to utilize her clan jutsu even though it wasn't even close to hitting him.

As for Shikamaru he at least had to think since he knew that he was a genius. He was sometimes trapped with his clan jutsu, but since he was so much more powerful than the kid he was able to quickly break free from his jutsu. He nodded in satisfaction that his kids weren't that weak and at least were trainable. That state of thought would quickly change when he faced the most mysterious of the group.

"Alright Naruto come at me with the aim to kill alright. Don't hold back thinking that you're going to hurt me. Now start!

As soon as Asuma gave the signal Naruto was nowhere to be seen. Asuma's experience wasn't to be underestimated since he accurately predicted Naruto's plan of attack. He put both his hands in front of him blocking Naruto's hard kick. He cringed in pain at the amount of power behind the kick and wasn't able to recover since Naruto immediately bolted from place and lunged at him with a right hook.

Asuma quickly back flipped out of harm's way and was glad he did since Naruto's punch would be clearly devastating from the amount of dirt that flew into the air. _'Man what the hell was Itachi teaching this kid. He hits like a freaking Jounin for Christ sakes. I better end this quick or who knows how much destruction he might cause'. _He quickly went through the simple hands signs required and shouted, **"Fuuton: Small Wind Blast"**. A relatively small gust of air was thrown from Asuma mouth and quickly headed towards Naruto's body hoping to end the match. He was greatly surprised when Naruto did the exact same thing.

Naruto did the necessary hand signs for the move and with the power of his sharingan performed the technique flawlessly**, "Fuuton: Great Breakthrough".** Naruto's own Fuuton jutsu immediately ripped through Asuma's weak version and successfully hit the surprised Jounin making numerous small cuts to his clothing and skin. Asuma wasn't able to recover from shock as Naruto immediately disappeared from sight and appeared right under him.

Naruto smirked at Asuma's surprised face as he stuck both his palms towards Asuma's torso**, "Raiton: High Voltage Touch Technique"**. Naruto's hands erupted with high intensity of electricity and quickly thrusted his palms towards Asuma who instinctively blocked it with his own wind technique.

"**Fuuton: Sudden Gust of Wind**", Asuma's technique immediately cut right through Naruto's own technique making him back flip out of harm's way.

Naruto's sharingan began to spin madly, **"Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness Jutsu". **Asuma's whole world became dark giving Naruto enough time to finally end the match. Naruto quickly dashed towards the cornered Asuma and delivered a lightning infused jab straight at the man's heart successfully killing him. Well that wasn't exactly true since Asuma's body that was lying on the ground immediately exploded in a puff of smoke.

Naruto slowly deactivated his sharingan and sighed at the meaningless fight he just went through. "You can come out now Asuma-sensei this match is over can I leave now". Naruto stated with a bored demeanor when Asuma finally decided to drop down from his perch in the tree.

Even though Asuma had a smirk plastered on his face his beads of sweat dropping from his face told another story. "Man Naruto you sure did train huh". His smirk quickly fell and his demeanor turned grave, "Why do you possess the Sharingan Naruto? This question was on all the minds of his teammates wondering how in the world Naruto had the sharingan. They believed that Sasuke was the only Uchiha alive as well did the whole village, but from this display that was complete bullshit.

Naruto stopped in his tracks, "This was a gift from someone special". He quickly disappeared out of their leaving stunned looking teammates and a sensei that didn't know what to think. _'So this is what you were hiding from us Naruto. Well it sure didn't look to me that you were hiding it at all'. _He looked over his troubled teammates and decided to comfort them, "How about that guys we sure have someone that is truly special in our team don't we. This team is going to be the strongest that has ever existed right". Asuma smiled at their quick turn of emotions.

Ino and Shikamaru smirked at their teammates impressive power display. Ino was thinking that he was so cool and that he had the sharingan like her past crush Sasuke. While Shikamaru was thinking that they were lucky he was in their team.

Asuma started walking away waving at them goodbye, "See you tomorrow guys so that we can work on our teamwork and maybe will get a mission if you guys do good enough how does that sound".

Shikamaru's eyes widened, "What already Asuma-sensei, man this is such a drag I should've stayed in the academy if this was going to happen".

Ino was the exact opposite, "Yes we finally get to go to mission together won't that be fun. We get to see the outside world for the first time ever".

Asuma chuckled at his students' polar reaction. He was finally far enough to be alone, _'I got to report this to the old man he will definitely want to hear about this'._

_(20 minutes later)_

**(Location Hokage Office)**

Asuma gently knocked on the Hokage's door and entered once he received the come in from the old man. He saw the Hokage smoking like always as he was busily writing on some documents. "Yo old man what are you up to this late?

The powerful Hokage didn't even look up from his never ending paperwork that seemed to never end no matter how much he did. "What does it look like Asuma? So onto more important matter how did it go with your team? Are they any good?

Asuma pulled out another cigarette since he had to put it away when he was fighting Naruto. "By that I assume you're talking about Naruto right".

The Hokage finally stopped writing and seriously looked at his son. "Of course not, but do tell me what you learned from him".

Asuma smirked at his old man's poker face, "Well you won't believe this when I tell you since even I didn't believe it even though I was their". The Hokage was now curious onto what his son learned from the mysterious boy.

Asuma saw his curiosity so decided to just straight up answer him, "Well the boy possesses the sharingan Hokage-sama".

This statement made the Hokage's eyes widened, "W-what how is that possible I thought Naruto was an Uzumaki not an Uchiha".

Asuma nodded with him agreeing that it was virtually impossible, "I have to agree with you, but Naruto's sharingan are his own. He can activate them like he has had them for a long time. Now I understand why Itachi was so secretive about his training with Naruto-kun. He was probably training him on how to use the sharingan properly and let me tell you he is a pro with it. His sharingan is in its last stage even though he is so young".

Hiruzen didn't know how to respond to this information, "So what else did you learn from the boy?

Asuma's demeanor turned serious, "I can tell you that Naruto is not an average genin. Hell he went toe toe with my clone that I put almost half of my chakra and he defeated it like it was nothing. He knows a wide variety of jutsu and who knows what else he knows".

The Hokage nodded in understanding, "Asuma-kun don't tell anybody about Naruto-kun possessing the sharingan alright. I don't want the council breathing down my neck on this matter. Just leave it be for now and if your squad already knows about this tell them that it is absolutely forbidden to talk about this understand".

Asuma nodded that he understood, "Alright old man I'll tell them, but don't hold me responsible when the others find out when they battle him or something".

Asuma began to walk towards the office door quickly passing through them and leaving the old man to his thoughts.

_(1 hour later)_

**(Location Konoha Cemetery)**

Naruto could be seen fondly gazing towards the two tombstones that held Maki and Chi's body. He gently put two large bouquets' of white roses paying his respect to them like he had done all these years. "Finally my journey to become stronger has begun Maki; Chi. You will not have to wait much longer to finally be able to rest in peace". A sudden voice whispered into the air making Naruto instinctively activate his blue sharingan. "So you are Naruto Uzumaki huh. That's a very strange sharingan you got there. I will be watching you so get stronger and we will meet again". The masked man suddenly began to dissolve into thin air leaving behind a confused looking Naruto wondering who was that person that even his blue sharingan was negated.

_**A/N: and done boy that took a while to complete. So as always if you have any question regarding the story I will try my best to answer you.**_


	17. Fateful Meeting

_**A/N: Hello my fellow reader I apologize for the long wait, but I had a lot of stuff to do in my real life so try to understand. Well that's about it and please REVIEW I want to know what you think on where exactly I'm going with the story. It's always fun reading your reviews and comments on what you think will happen. **_

_(2 hours later)_

**(Location Konoha Cemetery)**

Naruto stood frozen in place as he gazed intently towards the location that the mysterious masked man was occupying. His mind was racing pondering on who exactly was this guy that had nonchalantly negated his blue sharingan's abilities. It made his sharingan that he worked so hard on to perfect seem like it was trash compared to his power. He strangely seemed to pass right through his power of being able to freeze anything he sees with it.

How in the world was he able to pass through his power without so much as flinching at all? These entire questions lingered on his clouded mind that he didn't even realize that the masked man was carefully watching him from the tree above him. Apparently waiting for him to snap out of his frozen state that he admittedly was now.

The air around him stood frozen as both of them stood gazing towards each other apparently waiting for one another to speak first. As Naruto was about to break the silence he was swiftly beat to the punch when the masked man simply uttered a simple phrase that made his body fiercely clench in anger… **'Power'.** That simple word made him realize that he was mocking him for being weaker than him or so he thought at least.

On the other hand the mysterious masked man simply continued gazing towards the intriguing young man. His lone sharingan glowed ominously through the single eye hole in the orange clad mask of his. His deep gravelly voice made Naruto realize that he was not one to be messed with no matter what he thought his power level was. "It seems that Itachi-san was correct. You do possess the sharingan even though myself, Itachi, and his little brother are the only ones that are supposed to possess the sharingan". His brief conversation made Naruto flinch at the experienced man's voice that seemed to know his sensei Itachi.

Naruto composed himself once again and spoke with clearness even though the masked man could tell his words were laced with fright at the unknown. "I see you know Itachi-sensei do you". His sharingan slowly reverted back towards his normal red looking ones and brought them towards the mysterious masked person figure. His cold red eyes sharingan lingered on his opponent as he carefully studied him desperately trying to figure out anything that would help him if this did in fact turn out that he was Akatsuki. "So you are the one that Itachi-sensei warned me about. You are the ones known as Akatsuki are you"? He unconsciously grinded his teeth at his uncaring response, _'Is this the way I seem to other people? Now I know why people hate me'. _He smirked at his mental jab towards himself, but was brought out of his train of thought by the masked man's response once again.

"Oho it seems you know about us boy. Do tell me how you knew that I am part of that group called **'Akatsuki'.** The orange masked man carefully studied his person as he waited for a response.

Naruto just shrugged, "I don't know... I guess you just screamed power to me". His sharingan suddenly began to spin widely as he gazed at him. "I can tell you're not a normal person by the way your body constantly warps and disappears".

The masked man's eyes widened a bit which of course went unnoticed by Naruto. He was surprised on the boy's ability to know exactly what was happening with him. "Do tell me how you came to that conclusion boy". His glowing red sharingan carefully eyed him as he patiently waited for a response.

Naruto brought his slender arms upwards and pointed towards his sharingan eyes with his thumb. "With my eyes of course. Can't anyone with them be able to see that as well? His face morphed into one of curiousness wondering if this ability was unique to the eye.

The masked man continued to stare at him, "I'm afraid not boy. You see all sharingan gain a certain unique ability that separates them from all the others. Yours seem to relay critical information on what is actually happening with me". He slowly jumped out of the tree and teleported in front of a barely composed Naruto. "With time your sharingan might evolve the ability to stop any jutsu that you see. Now wouldn't that be something huh".

He slowly began to dissolve into thin air, but not before leaving his future pupil with some words of advice. "Naruto I am afraid it is time for me to depart, but before I leave I have some parting words from your sensei". He tossed Naruto a small paper that apparently contained Itachi's message to him.

He quickly caught the small paper and opened it, _'Hello Naruto-kun I am sorry I couldn't meet you in person, but you understand the reason why. This paper will give you instruction on a certain place you must visit preferably soon. This location is known as the Naka Shrine. It will give you vital information on the history of the Uchiha clan and its secrets. I know that you are not Uchiha, but I truly feel that you are part of it someway. Now destroy this message and hopefully I get to see you in the near future"._

Naruto mentally nodded and produced wind chakra on his hand tearing the small paper into thousands of pieces that flew into the brisk air of the night. His gaze returned towards the masked man that was seemed to want to say something himself before he left.

"Uzumaki Naruto continue to get stronger and in the future we will meet again". As soon as he said his departing words he immediately fazed into the darkness of the night leaving Naruto alone.

Naruto continued gazing towards the spot where the masked man was just a couple moments ago. He sighed and turned towards the silence of the graves. He fondly touched both of the grave markers that contained his two best friends, "It seems like things will get interesting neh Maki-chan, Chi-chan". With those words lingering in the silent cemetery he quietly made his way out of the cemetery. He pondered on whether he should visit the place that Itachi had told him about, but decided to leave it for tomorrow since he felt pretty tired.

_(The Next Day)_

**(Location near Training Ground 10)**

A white haired kid could be seen walking towards his destination with no apparent haste in his steps. He had both hands in his pant pockets while his demeanor was as cool as ice since his mind was at peace for the moment at least. Since he left so quickly during the team meeting that he had missed out on the apparent meeting their sensei had set up today. Luckily he was informed by his blonde haired teammate ino who oddly had visited him late last night a couple of hours after his confrontation with the masked man. Now it brought the question on how in the world had Ino known exactly where he lived he would never know.

_(Flashback 3 hours after meeting with Masked Man)_

**(Location Naruto's Apartment)**

A beautiful blonde female could be seen hesitantly standing just outside Naruto's apartment complex contemplating on whether or not this was the correct place. She carefully looked towards the detailed directions that her parents had so kindly given her so that she wouldn't be hopelessly lost. Somehow it seemed that she had in fact gotten lost somehow, but wasn't sure.

Since the place that was in front of her seemed like the place in the detailed drawing her parents had left her. Her gorgeous blue eyes lingered on the rotting building before her eyes and couldn't help but cringe at the crumbling state of the complex. _'Does Naruto-kun really live in this dump? Man he must be even stronger than I imagined if he can stand living in this place. I know for a fact I wouldn't even last a second in this dump'._

She mentally thought to herself as her face contorted into one of unpleasantness at the idea of someone actually having to put up with this place for their entire life. She carefully put the small detailed map in her pocket and slowly began to climb up the stairs that led to his apartment room.

Her view on the apartment complex did not change since she continuously began to hear groans coming from the rotted wood every time she took a single step upwards. This indicated that the building was most likely in its last legs and would probably crumble down if anything major were to hit the village. Like an earthquake for example, that would most certainly do the job wouldn't it?

She finally arrived in front of the room number that it mentioned in the paper. She fixed her outfit a bit and began to breathe hoping to calm her growing anxiety on seeing Naruto so late at night. She brought her slender soft looking arms towards the brittle looking door and gently knocked hoping it would do the job not wanting to touch the cold hard wood door again.

Her knocks unfortunately went unanswered, but of course she didn't give up and tried once again but this time with a bit more power into her knocks. After a couple minutes passed with nothing happening she breathed out a sigh of frustration at the apparent lack of reaction.

She regained her confidence and decided to simply let herself in seeing no harm in doing so. Since she considered themselves pretty close friends and he wouldn't mind right? She firmly grabbed the cold rusted door knob and carefully twisted the creaking knob hoping it would go all the way around. Unfortunately for her it stopped immediately in its tracks meaning that the door was in fact locked from the inside.

She sighed in defeat and finally decided that she would just leave and come early in the morning and tell him about the meeting then. She was however unable to leave since the door behind her suddenly opened up. She widened her eyes at the figure standing beside the door and immediately blushed at Naruto's half naked state being in just his shorts and a plain white t-shirt. "N-Naruto-kun please put on some clothes for crying out loud! She honestly thought she would pass out of embarrassment since it was her very first time seeing someone in that little clothing besides her parents of course.

Naruto continued leaning against the apartment door not really caring all that much, "You do realize that this is my apartment right Ino-chan? Another thing I want to mention how in the hell did you find this place?

Ino decided to introduce herself when hearing Naruto's questions directed at her. She quickly bowed and greeted him, "H-hello Naruto-kun I hope I'm not by any chance disturbing you am I?

Naruto continued looking at her with a careful eye, "Actually you are kind of bothering me Ino-chan I'm not going to lie to you".

Ino flinched at his response, but nevertheless continued on her mission. "W-well you probably want to know why I'm here in the first place, but can we please go inside. It's kind of cold this late at night… of course we can do it here if you want". Ino watched Naruto ponder for a moment until he finally released a small sigh and waved her inside his warm room.

Ino was pleasantly surprised at how different the interior of the apartment complex looked compared to the exterior. His living room was relatively clean for a guy's room at least, but her fashion sense made her cringe at how plain looking it seemed. She intently followed Naruto's back heading towards the living room couch. They both sat down on the comfortable looking couch and faced each other. Her eyes followed his curious blue eyes and blushed at the realization that he was staring at her outfit that she had picked out for this specific occasion.

His bright blue eyes roamed around her body and he had to admit she was beautiful. "You really outdid yourself Ino-chan. That outfit really makes you even more tempting if that's possible". Naruto's cunning eyes caught her small blush and smirked at her desperate attempt to avoid direct eye contact. His smirk quickly disappeared and quickly stood up from the couch and went towards the kitchen wanting to prepare some warm tea for the both of them. After a couple of minutes had passed he finally returned and gently put the tray containing the tea on his small coffee table. He carefully poured the warm tea in a plain white cup and offered it to ino who happily accepted.

Having taken a sip of the warm team that Naruto had generously offered her finally decided that she should tell him her reason on coming so late at night. "Well Naruto-kun the reason I came her so late is that Asuma-sensei told us we should meet him again tomorrow morning. Since you weren't there I decided to tell you so that you wouldn't be lost". She chuckled at her pathetic excuse of wanting to see him. Her laugh was apparently infectious as it made Naruto laugh as well.

Finally finishing his brief fit of laughter looked towards Ino's blue eyes and gazed intently into them making her blush under his intense glare. "I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to come tell me Ino-chan". His eyes immediately turned cold, "However Ino-chan next time tell me your coming here". His gaze unattached from Ino's as he stared into nothing in particular. "Who knows what might happen to you especially this late at night".

She was quickly going to retort back to him that she could take care of herself just fine. She stopped however when she witnessed Naruto's sorrowful face meaning that he was afraid for her well-being. She figured that his fear most likely came from the fact that his two best friends were killed when he wasn't there. She smiled and reassured him on his worry, "I'm sorry Naruto-kun I'll come earlier next time ok".

He didn't acknowledge her answer and merely went towards his room and quickly got changed into more modest clothing. "Come ino-chan I'll escort you back to your home. I don't want to hear any excuses alright".

Her brief protest went unheard and decided to simply go along with Naruto's generosity. "Ok Naruto-kun, but don't think I'm a weak girl that needs protection all the time alright mister". She put her hands on her hips playfully scolding him making him smirk at her display.

He brought his arm around her and gently pushed on her lower back making her stand up and walk. "Don't worry about me thinking your weak Ino-chan. I know you can handle yourself, but always keep in mind that there is always someone stronger than you". He knew that statement all too well and remained silent for the entire walk until they finally reached her home which was surprisingly the flower shop.

Ino had to hide her growing blush when seeing Naruto's glowing blue eyes sparkle in the darkness of the night. "Thank you for the walk Naruto-kun. I guess I'll see you tomorrow right? She smiled and immediately bolted inside knowing full well that if she stayed any longer who knows how the night would've ended.

She quickly reached the front door and swiftly opened it quickly locking it behind her. She had to control her rising heartbeat as she slowly peaked outside the flower shop. She witnessed Naruto absentmindedly gazing towards the full moon in the night sky. She honestly thought that in her eyes she was seeing a god in front of her. That's how much her admiration for Naruto went.

She finally saw him leave after standing for a good five minutes who knows what he was thinking during that time. She sighed from the heart pounding moment just now and opened her eyes. She was frightened to death by the sudden appearance of her beautiful mother smiling at her situation.

The beautiful looking Mio was admirably gazing towards her young daughter feeling nostalgic. Since she was doing the exact same thing when she was about Ino's age more or less. "Well Ino did you have fun on your little visit with Naruto-san? She chuckled at her daughter's blushing face and knew exactly how she felt.

Ino barely managed to control her growing blush as she confidently faced her mother, "Of course it went good mother what did you expect". She quickly dashed towards her room to think about the event that just happened a couple minutes ago.

Mio witnessed her daughter running to her room and sighed once her daughter was out of sight. She felt a reassuring arm around her slim shoulder that belonged to her loving husband Inoichi trying to comfort her on their daughters growing hormones.

"Don't worry about it Mio. I know our daughter is responsible enough to know what's right and wrong". His confidant demeanor struggled from breaking as he thought more on what he said. "W-well let's try to at least believe that's she's a strong girl after all she's our daughter right".

Mio chuckled at her husband's struggle at comforting her, but smiled at his kindness. "Yeah I know Inoichi". Her warm smile quickly faded from her gentle face. "It's Naruto-san that worries me. We don't know what's going on in that boy's head. Who knows what he thinks of our little Ino-chan. For all we know he might be thinking of ways of exploiting her innocence". Her growing worries were quickly extinguished by the serious looking Inoichi.

The powerful man quickly turned her wife's beautiful young face, "Don't think that way Mio-chan you know what happened to that boy in the past right". Inoichi saw her eyes struggling to keep contact with his knowing that he was right and she was wrong for judging him. He gave her a small peck on the lips and smiled, "Try to have faith on the boy Mio-chan and also on your daughter. We know that she'll do the right thing and perhaps her little crush might fade away as she matures right".

Mio smiled and was reminded how persuasive her husband was, but had to agree with his statement. She nodded, "Yeah I suppose your right. I have to have more faith on them that they'll do the right thing". She was suddenly embraced by Inoichi's strong arms and was led towards their master bedroom to do what adult couples do… sleep of course.

_(Flashback end)_

**(Location Training Ground 10)**

Naruto calmly walked inside the training ground and instinctively sighted when being greeted with a sleeping Shikamaru. He was slightly disturbed when being greeted by the over cheerful looking ino that was fiercely waving for him to come over. He silently slipped through Shikamaru and sat near Ino under a huge tree that provided some modest shade from the overbearing sun that never seemed to be satisfied.

The smiling Ino quickly greeted Naruto, "Good morning Naruto-kun how was your walk coming here? Her smile quickly deflated by the non-responsive Naruto who seemed not to care that he was there at all.

Naruto saw her disappointed face and merely sighed at her worry, "I guess it was alright Ino-chan don't think too much about it alright". His eyes caught her small nod and saw her subtle frown forming on her face. He decided to leave it be not really feeling like comforting someone right now. He just wanted to get this over with whatever their bearded sensei had devised. They had to wait several more minutes before their Jounin sensei decided to show up.

The calm looking Jounin was greeted with the sight of a sleeping Shikamaru, a depressed looking ino and the always bored looking Naruto. He swiftly fetched out a plain cigarette from his pant pocket and quickly lit it on. He breathed out a much needed smoke and gazed towards his students that were busy doing their own thing. _'Man why did I have to get such a depressing team seriously. Well I shouldn't complain since I did pick them myself'_. He sighed and walked up to them, but not before hitting the sleeping Shikamaru strongly over the head instantly waking him up from his short nap.

The lazy Shikamaru rubbed his head in pain and bleakly peered through his sleep ridden eyes to figure out who exactly hit him over the head and rudely ended his peaceful sleep. His eyes widened at the sight of his whole team glaring at him and his sensei sighing in disappointment. He rubbed his head and sighed, "Man this is such a drag". He walked up to his sensei and lazily glared at him, "Why did you have to make us come to this stupid place so early in the morning? Couldn't it wait until the afternoon Asuma-sensei"?

The man known as the only shinobi having an affinity to wind chuckled at the laziest man in the village. Well if you didn't count most of the Nara clan that included his father Shikaku. "Don't be a fool Shikamaru. If I schedule a team gathering by that time wouldn't it be too late you idiot". His sly remark did its job and brought a chuckle out of the depressed ino, but unsurprisingly did nothing on the ever stoic Naruto. He gently bit on the end of his dwindling cigarette and waved for them to stand up. "Alright guys that's enough of lazing around. Let's start on some teamwork".

He noticed their confused faces which mostly were from ino and Shikamaru, "Listen kids I want you to work on your teamwork. Since this group should be a team right". His brief glare was focused on Naruto who just shrugged him off. He massaged his temples and told them they had 10 minutes to work out a plan of attack while he waited under a huge tree.

The three of them huddled together and surprisingly it was the laziest kid in the village that decided to take charge of the situation. His rarely seen serious eyes locked on with Naruto's own, "Naruto we all know that you're the strongest in the group. There's no denying that so I want you to lie back since I know Asuma's already expecting you to be up front and attack".

His suggestion however went right through his blonde teammate who immediately shut down his idea. "I disagree with your plan of attack Shikamaru. I suggest me going in there and finish him off while the both of you back me up alright". As soon as he gave his suggestion the other blonde in the team quickly disagreed with his idea surprising him.

Ino shouted towards his teammate whom she had a huge crush on, "Are you an idiot Naruto-kun? Why in the world would you go straight towards him in a fight? Don't you know he is a Jounin and could probably kill you if he wanted to"? Her concerns however went right through Naruto as well. She sighed and looked towards Shikamaru who was equally upset at Naruto's unwillingness to cooperate. "Listen Naruto-kun I think we should follow shikamaru's plan. This will give us a greater chance to defeat him don't you think".

Her suggestion fell on deaf ears since Naruto had long since walked towards their smirking sensei. She swiftly turned around and shouted towards him making him briefly stop in his tracks. "NARUTO what the hell do you think you're doing! I thought we were a team".

Naruto continued walking towards the comfortable looking sensei who was carefully watching the situation unfold. Naruto's cold voice flowed throughout the empty training ground making them flinch at his tone. "Then stop shouting ino and come help me if you so desperately want to work as a team".

Ino clenched her fists at the frustration she was feeling towards Naruto's stubbornness, "Man why in the hell is he so stubborn? Doesn't he realize we want to help him"? Her gaze turned towards her other teammate that seemed equally frustrated with his attitude.

Shikamaru sighed and began to walk towards Naruto, "Come on Ino let's not argue with him and try to help him out however we can". He saw her angered face and decided to comfort her even though it was such a drag. "I believe Naruto is trying to protect us by not having us fight ino. So don't worry and cheer up will you".

Ino was surprised at shikamaru's comforting words and slowly nodded that he was right. "Yeah I suppose your right Shikamaru. It's just that I wanted for him to be more involved in our team instead of just wanting to do this himself you know".

Shikamaru nodded with her thoughts, "Yeah I agree with you ino, but what are you going to do about it. We know he can take care of himself right". Ino sighed and followed Shikamaru.

Asuma slowly stood up from his comfortable position and stood toe to toe with the supposed genius of their generation. Well at least that's the way he thought anyways. He quickly finished his cigarette and flicked it towards the ground, "So Naruto it seems you want to do this yourself huh".

Naruto remained quiet and continued to glare towards his sensei.

Asuma sighed and took out a single kunai from his pouch. "Alright Naruto if you believe you can take on a Jounin by yourself then by all mean go for it". As soon as his word left his mouth he felt a sharp sting on his abdomen resulting in him flying through the open training ground finally stopping once he recovered his bearings. He desperately gasped for air from being hit so suddenly in the stomach rendering him breathless. He quickly brought his head upwards and was confused on how in the world he was hit without so much as making a sound.

He clenched his teeth at the frustration he was feeling at being caught unguarded, _'Damn this kid is something else. I didn't even sense him coming. I must be losing my game or this kid is the real deal'. _He quickly recovered his composure and stood up smirking the whole time at the excitement he was feeling. "Man Naruto you sure are something else huh. Well don't let me keep you waiting bring it on my fellow student". He narrowed his eyes at the sudden feeling of being intruded from the inside and quickly realized that he was falling for a genjutsu.

His world quickly turned dark around him, "Damn it I got caught in his genjutsu. Those sharingan eyes of his are something else do be able to trap me in a genjutsu. Good thing I practiced on how to escape let's just hope I do it fast enough". He gathered his chakra and quickly released it successfully breaking out of his genjutsu, but didn't have time to celebrate since Naruto had taken the initiative and was quickly bolting towards him looking to end the match then and there.

Asuma smirked at his cockiness, "Don't get so impatient Naruto there's still so much fun to be had don't you agree". His confidence quickly deflated when he realized that he had been caught by Shikamaru's shadows. He managed to bring his hands upwards making an X shape blocking the brunt of Naruto's electric charged punch. He was pushed back quite a bit by his punch and the pain in his forearms was very uncomfortable since they were a bit numb from the electricity. "Tch, stupid brat now you're going to realize how much of a difference there is between us kid".

Naruto's sharingan eyes quickly began to work overtime at his sensei surprising upgrade in speed. His eyes detected that he was using wind to accelerate his speed. He back flipped away from Asuma's punch and witnessed Asuma making some fast hand seals before shouting, **"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu". **

A huge fireball was quickly careening towards him, but Naruto was readily prepared to handle it in a surprising manner. **"Ice Style: Freezing Touch", **Naruto brought a single hand towards the huge fireball and immediately turned it into ice and shattered into a million sparkling shards. This scene brought shocked faces to all the people that witnessed it including their sensei who could not believe what he just witnessed.

Naruto of course took advantage of this and pumped electricity into his body making him even faster than before. He quickly bolted from place and appeared right in Asuma's face before grabbing him by the collar. "It appears you lost Asuma-sensei". His brief victory was quickly slashed when he saw Asuma smirking even though his situation was unfavorable.

Asuma immediately replaced himself with a log and appeared behind a shocked ino with a kunai against her throat. "Well what are you going to do know Naruto? I hold the power of killing your teammate right here and the blame will fall on your shoulders for not wanting to cooperate with them".

His words hit deep in Naruto's conscious, but that wasn't enough to break Naruto out of his calmness. He closed his eyes and revealed his blue sharingan eyes, "You talk too much Asuma-sensei". Naruto's eyes widened a bit as it focused on the single kunai that was against Ino throat. The kunai immediately froze and shattered from Naruto's will. He quickly deactivated his blue sharingan and returned to his normal red one. He took advantage once again on his surprise and bolted towards Ino successfully pulling her away from Asuma.

He brought her to Shikamaru who was equally shocked, but otherwise calm at the situation. "Take care of her Shikamaru". Once he said that he began to walk towards Asuma who had since recovered from his stupor.

Asuma was impressed beyond belief on Naruto's power and his ability to wield ice. Which was considered a bloodline limit since it was so rare especially in konoha. _'This kid has three fucking bloodline limits. How is that even possible?_ He noticed Naruto walking towards him wanting to continue the fight, but he decided it was best to end it already or risk getting injured. He brought his hand upwards, "Alright Naruto that's enough for today". He smirked towards the boy, "I have to say I'm impressed at your ability and I'm a little jealous at how talented you are kid".

Naruto was surprised by the sudden turn of events and didn't know how to respond to such praise so chose to remain quiet.

He swiftly brought out another cigarette and lit on taking a much needed smoke from the intense battle that just occurred. He waved for them to gather and smiled, "Congratulations you all passed isn't that great".

Shikamaru was the one to ask their sensei what they were all thinking in that moment. "What are you talking about Asuma-sensei? I didn't realize we were taking a test of any sort. I thought this was just your way of messing with us". Ino agreed with him and Naruto stood quiet realizing what exactly this test was about.

His cool voice traveled through the beat up training ground, "This was a test to see if we could work as a team wasn't it Asuma-sensei".

Asuma smiled and nodded, "That's correct Naruto. Yes this test was to test you on how well you would work together and bring me down".

It was Ino's turn to speak up for the group, "Then how in the world did we pass Asuma-sensei. Clearly we didn't work as a team and Naruto did everything for the most part". Shikamaru agreed with her and to a certain extent Naruto as well.

Asuma waved her worry off, "Don't worry about that Ino. At least I know that you all care about each other's survival. Now for the teamwork aspect you still need a lot of work, but thankfully that is fixable. When we start taking mission you will get to know each other better and then start working as a team right". The three of them slowly nodded not sure what to think.

His gaze turned serious and brought his eyes towards the ever surprising Naruto who noticed his glare. "Naruto can you explain how in the world you know how to create ice out of thin air for that matter".

Naruto merely turned his head and sat down, "I'm sorry Asuma, but I don't know you well enough. I'm afraid I don't feel like telling you".

Asuma sighed and nodded since he was right in that aspect. He turned towards Ino who was still a bit shaken up from being a hostage just a couple moments ago. "Ino you should take this seriously and start training same goes with you Shikamaru. Don't make Naruto carry the whole weight of the team by himself".

Shikamaru sighed and pointed towards Naruto, "As you can see Asuma-sensei Naruto is not a normal genin. Hell he's not even a Chunin for crying out loud. He managed to fight you and he made it look easy". He dusted himself off and began to walk away while mumbling, "How in the world did Naruto get so powerful. Man this is going to be such a drag trying to keep up with him".

Asuma chuckled and shouted at him, "Report to the Hokage mansion tomorrow morning Shikamaru so that we could start doing missions. So don't be late alright". He saw Shikamaru wave that he understood and witnessed Naruto doing the same thing, "Same goes with you Naruto don't be late". He however didn't get any sort of wave from Naruto who seemed to be a bit tired.

The only one left was himself and Ino who seemed to be gazing towards Naruto's back fondly. He snapped his fingers in front of her dazing face quickly snapping her out of her daze. "You know Ino you could follow him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind walking with you home". He frowned at her depressed face as she began to walk away.

"Your wrong Asuma-sensei I think Naruto doesn't even see me as a Kunochi. He sees me just as some fan girl pulling him down". Asuma was about to comment on her statement, but was unable when she suddenly shouted.

"That why I need to get stronger and show him that I can be useful towards whatever his dream is. Yeah that's right all I need is to get stronger for him". She started running waving towards a confused Asuma, "Bye-bye Asuma-sensei I'll see you tomorrow for our mission".

Asuma waved her good-bye and sighed, "Guess I'll go report to the Hokage on what happened today. I'm sure he will want to know about Naruto's unique ice ability. He began to walk away without realizing that he was being watched by a strange creature that seemed to be infused with the tree.

A weird plant like creature was carefully watching the whole time they were fighting. The white part of the plant spoke first, "Did you see that sempai. He was moving so fast wasn't he"? **"Of course I saw it I was here with you wasn't I. Anyways Madara-sama was correct this boy shows a lot of promise for the future doesn't he. He seems to act exactly like Itachi-sama". **"Hahaha he does doesn't he. Isn't that great. If he's anything like Itachi-sama he will become super strong won't he sempai". The black part nodded**, "I agree now let's leave and report to Madara-sama". **The strange Venus like creature sank into the tree and disappeared leaving a silent training ground.

_(Several hours later)_

**(Location inside Uchiha Compound)**

Naruto could be seen walking through the empty streets of the now deserted Uchiha district. He carefully remembered the instructions of the small note that Itachi had left him that told him to visit the Naka Shrine. He followed the notes directions and was led to a large building that of course was deserted. He slowly entered the creepy looking building and noticed some stairs leading down.

He followed them and after several more twist and turns was finally greeted with a spacious room that had two large pillars with fire in them. He saw the place was riddled with the ever recognizable symbol of the Uchiha on the walls. He continued forwards and stopped in front of a strange tablet that was purposely placed in an altar.

He was confused at what exactly he was reading since he didn't understand it at all. He quickly activated his sharingan and was surprised that he was now able to read it. Well at least some parts about it anyways. From his reading he figured out how exactly the Magenkyou worked and how it was unlocked. He also figured out some of the darkest secrets of the Uchiha. He finally finished what he was able to understand and deactivated his sharingan, "I'm glad Itachi-sensei told me to visit this place, but still I wonder what the rest of the writings are".

_**A/N: and done. Phew that sure took a while and as always if you have any question please ask them in a form of review or pm. Until Next time Black Crow Out!**_


	18. Difference in Power

_**A/N: Hello my readers it's been a long while since I've posted another chapter. I will not give you an excuse since you probably don't care so please enjoy my longest chapter yet and REVIEW!**_

_(The Next Day)_

**(Location Hokage Mansion)**

A white haired young man could be seen walking up the stairs leading to the Hokages' main office. He was following Asuma's instruction's to meet him here even though he didn't really feel like showing up truthfully. As he continued to walk up the long winding stairs his thoughts were still focused on the events that happened last night. He was constantly wondering why he couldn't understand the text on the aged tablet in the Uchiha district. Last night he finally decided to let it be for a while until he could ask Itachi about it and who knows when that might be honestly. He finally managed to reach the end of the long winding steps and was greeted with the ever serious looking secretary. He could've sworn that she hated him somehow.

He didn't know how to explain it exactly, but he somehow always had this gnawing feeling that she would rather prefer for him to not show up at all. Of course he could care less on what she thought about him. It was still rather tough to ignore her hate filled glares directed straight at him. He silently stood in front of her waiting for her to speak not really feeling like wasting his breath on the likes of her. His deadly cold eyes lingered on her equally hate filled ones for several agonizing minutes. For her it seemed to have lasted and eternity rather than a couple minutes.

The annoyed looking secretary adjusted her sleek looking black glasses and threw the white haired shinobi a glare that would make any normal person flinch in fright. Unfortunately for her it took a lot more to make someone like Naruto scared. She put the finished paperwork she was working on away and finally decided to acknowledge he was there. "Can I help you with something Naruto-san? She threw him a cheery looking smile even though her smile didn't reach her eyes.

Naruto meanwhile stood unmoving carefully watching the secretary's attempts to intimidate him. He was honestly amused at her attempts, "You should know why I am here woman". He made sure to emphasize the word woman knowing it would agitate her even more.

The secretary's smile began to crumble at the obvious jab towards her, but surprisingly managed to remain cool. She already knew why he was here for since the Hokage had informed her earlier that he would be arriving in the morning to meet up with his team. Which had already arrived a couple of minutes ago and were waiting in the Hokage's office. She felt a sadistic satisfaction when keeping him from going inside. She narrowed her eyes at his calm looking visage not liking his expressionless mask. '_Why does he always have that stupid non-caring mask? Does he even have a fucking heart under that cold shell of his for crying out loud?! Can't he show some kind of emotion for once!_ She mentally shouted to herself feeling annoyed at how he made her feel.

Naruto didn't share in her enthusiasm in wanting to waste his energy at being annoyed with her. Well it was more likely that he just didn't really care for her reasons in doing what she was doing. He felt that her actions were stupid and utterly pointless honestly. He finally decided to end her little charade and spoke in a clear tone making her even angrier than before. "Secretary-san you of all people should know the reason that I am here". Naruto moved even closer to her and glared at her with his infamous sharingan activated. "Please do yourself a favor and let me through or I promise you I will give you hell understand".

She began to tremble in fear when laying her eyes on his menacing looking sharingan eyes that the Hokage had told her a couple of days ago. Even though she had seen plenty of them before it was still a frightening experience when they were directed at her. She managed to control her trembling and glared at his blatant threat towards her. "G-give m-me a break Uzumaki-san we all know you wouldn't dare lay your hands on me".

She smirked feeling a bit confident and leaned even closer that he could almost touch her moist looking lips. "You don't have the balls to do it Uzumaki. You're just like the rest all talk, but nothing to back it up". She leaned back and decided to add an extra insult that she thought would finish him off for good. "Isn't that the reason why your friends are buried in a grave Uzumaki"?

The air around the room immediately grew cold making the woman gasp for breath. The next thing she saw was her entire world becoming dark and then there was nothing, but silence in the air. The only thing she could see were Naruto's blood red sharingan eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. She began to tremble wildly when she saw Naruto close in on her. She was honestly afraid for her life and didn't know if she would survive this. The silence was broken by a low gravelly voice that echoed throughout the silence of the void.

"**I warned you didn't I woman. Now you get to experience one of the most hellish experiences you will ever feel". **The woman could've sworn she could see a dark devilish smirk behind him. It was like the darkness was alive, but not alive at the same time. It morphed and twisted behind him just waiting to attack and she knew who the target was. "PLEASE FORGIVE ME NARUTO I DIDN'T MEAN IT HONESTLY!" she pleaded with the white haired boy not wanting to experience whatever he planned for her. Unfortunately for her he didn't forgive so easily.

"**Foolish woman this is what happens when you anger someone stronger than yourself. This is what happens to those to foolish to understand their place in this world. This is what happens when you anger Uzumaki Naruto". **

The only thing heard for the next couple of hours were screams of agony coming from the woman. This day would scare her for the rest of her life.

_(Several hours later in the dark world)_

Naruto gazed at the woman that was laying on her desk sleeping and was probably having the worst experience of her life without anyone knowing it. He began to cringe in pain and was constantly hearing thousands of voices, but only one of the whole bunch stood out. He had seen him plenty of times before in his dreams and during the day in his mind.

He knew that the illusion in his head was truly evil, but he did not mind since of course he was only an illusion. What he did know was that this man or to be more precise **darkness **amplified his sharingan abilities. There was however one major drawback when using the darkness to help his illusions. He always became more bloodthirsty and it was a pain to control it, but he managed somehow.

It was still a mystery to him on what exactly he could do with the darkness inside him besides using it on his sharingan. He told Itachi about it, but he just told him to try and avoid using it whenever possible. Stating that if he would use it for too long it would consume him and who knows what would happen then.

So far he has managed to follow his advice and control it, but he knew it was just a matter of time before he would need to face the music and control it physically. He almost lost control when the woman mentioned his friends and it brought back the pain that the woman was right. It was his fault they had died. No matter how much he tried to deny it he would always carry that guilt of being the reason for their deaths.

Naruto deactivated his sharingan and took a deep breath trying to control his building anger. He managed somewhat to calm down and gave another glimpse towards the sleeping woman. Her face was calm and peaceful as if the entire world didn't matter. He heard a voice in his head that sounded truly evil, _**"You should've killed her you fool. What's stopping you from it can't you see they all need to die boy". **_The darkness sadistically chuckled at his situation knowing that his tenant was easily controlled with all the darkness in his heart.

He shrugged off the voice in his head not wanting to give it more ammunition and continued towards the office doors and entered. He stood inside and witnessed Shikamaru once again sleeping. Besides the lazy genin was a surprisingly sleeping Ino that was awkwardly position besides an oblivious Shikamaru having no idea what was happening. He dismissed the image from his head and inspected the modest room further when he finally met the old man's watchful gaze.

He walked up to him and greeted the powerful Hokage, "Where is Asuma-sensei at? I would prefer if we get whatever he plans over with". His gaze lingered towards the others who were comfortably sleeping and muttered under his breath, "God knows I'm not the only one that feels the same way".

The powerful Hokage chuckled when hearing his comment regarding his teammates. "Well hello Naruto-kun it's most certainly a pleasant occurrence to see you again. My you certainly have grown much stronger these past couple days haven't you my boy".

Naruto remained calm even though the Hokage was overly excited, "You should know old man".

The powerful Hokage continued to smile even though he heard his comment. _'Well at least you haven't changed, but I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad one'. _He interlocked his wrinkled fingers and carefully began to examine the white haired boy who seemed to want to get out of his office as quickly as possible.

He sighed and told Naruto what he asked for in the first place, "Asuma will be here shortly he just had to take care of some personal business beforehand". He offered him to take a seat in one of the many comfortable chairs in his office which of course he refused. The Hokage sighed once again and reached for his pipe and lit it on. He took a large puff from the aged pipe and exhaled loudly feeling much better when the tobacco took its effect on his aching body. He carefully laid the lit pipe down on his sturdy desk and decided to make small talk with Naruto while he waited. "So Naruto-kun how has life been treating you these days? Are you enjoying being in a team?

Naruto didn't even bother to answer him since the old man already knew what was happening with them. He decided to stay silent until Asuma arrived and get whatever he planned over with. To his surprise Asuma arrived earlier than he expected.

He saw the bearded Jounin step through the door looking a bit worried. He pointed towards the door behind him and asked the old man about the secretary's odd behavior. "Hokage-sama what's wrong with your secretary? It's like she's in some kind of horrible nightmare or something. She keeps mumbling and screaming curses at the air and flailing her arms around. It's really disturbing to watch honestly".

The Hokage was equally confused with Asuma's explanation, but quickly figured out what had happened. He glared towards the bored looking white haired boy that seemed to not give a damn if they found out. "Naruto did you by any chance have anything to do with my secretary's current behavior? His question was answered by the always silent Naruto who just kept his eyes on his sensei.

The old man waved towards the air quickly summoning several Anbu around him. "Take her to the hospital and have them examine her alright". The Anbu nodded and quickly disappeared from the office. The old man signaled for Asuma to shut the door behind him, "Come in Asuma-kun let's forget about that for now and get this over with. However I do ask for you to wake up your sleeping students over there since a mission requires them to be awake".

Asuma followed his father's eyes and sweat dropped at the sight in front of him. _'Give me a break here. Can't I get student's that are actually excited about starting their genin careers'. _He walked over towards the sleeping teens and shook them rather forcibly making them snap awake.

Both teens moaned in annoyance at being woken up until the silence of the room was broken by a certain blond girl. "KYAA! She quickly jumped away from Shikamaru and pointed towards the still groggy Shikamaru. "W-why in the hell were you so close to me you pervert". She visibly shivered at the thought and quickly began to peel away the invisible layer that Shikamaru left on her freshly washed clothes.

The lazy genin merely yawned and cleaned the wax out of his ears that were still ringing over her girly scream. He pulled his lone pinky from his left ear and flicked it towards the ground, "Calm down Ino can't you see that I was sleeping". He groggily got up from place and leaned against the wall still feeling tired. "You can't be screaming so early in the morning Ino. There are limits on how much of a girl you can be right Asuma-sensei". His bored looking gaze turned towards Asuma's expecting him to be on his side. Unfortunately for him he was on neither side much like Naruto.

The wind user merely took out a small box that contained his signature cigarettes and pulled out a single one. He expertly lit it on and took a long puff from it, "Don't get me involved in your problems Shikamaru. You're on your own on this one I'm afraid". He chuckled at his annoyance and turned towards a still frustrated Ino, "Also if you don't want him so close to you then why did you lean on him when you were both sleeping Ino?

Ino blushed red at being called out by her sensei. She knew that he was right, but she just couldn't help it. She was so tired from staying late last night thinking of ways to improve her arsenal so that Naruto could notice her. She even went as far as to ask her father which turned out to be a disaster at first.

_(Flashback)_

**(Location Yamanaka Flower shop)**

Ino was silently standing just outside her parents' bedroom uncertain if she should really do this. She wanted to ask her parents if they could help her with some ideas on how to get stronger. She was hesitant on asking since it would involve talking to her father which she rarely talks to. Not because she hates him no she actually loves him dearly and acknowledges that he is a very powerful man and a great leader to their clan. It's just that when she begins to talk to him he always brings up the topic about boys with her and it annoys the hell out of her.

However this wasn't the time to waver from her goal to become stronger. The only way she would do that was if her father told her some ideas on how to improve her signature technique that her whole clan was able to do. Well not everybody since her mother was just a normal civilian, but don't let that fool you she could still pack a punch.

She stood silently in her purple pajamas feeling a little cold mainly on her feet since the floor was uncomfortably cold being wood an all. Her bright blue eyes glowed in the darkness gently biting her lip still uncertain whether she should go in or not. She breathed in and managed to calm her nerves before she took the plunge and opened the door. That would be the biggest mistake in her short life when she was greeted with her bare breasted mother silently riding her father like there was no tomorrow.

She immediately covered her innocent eyes and screamed, "OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING MOM! She didn't wait for a reply and quickly bolted from the room heading straight for her own room hoping to erase the obscene image from her innocent mind.

Meanwhile Mio did the exact same thing and immediately covered herself when she heard her daughter screaming in shock. She reached for the retreating Ino who was desperately trying to flee, "Wait Ino It's not what you think". Her words fell on deaf ears seeing her daughter fleeing from their room. She sighed and turned towards her surprisingly calm husband.

She nudged him with her slim arm while she covered her large breasts from view. "Hey Inoichi-kun don't you think you should go to our daughters room and fix this". She frowned not seeing a reaction from him. She decided to be more forceful and this time hit him on his arm. "Hello earth to Inoichi are you even listening to me? I said that you should go to you daughters room and tell her we were just loving alright". She was about to scream in frustration, but didn't manage to when she witnessed him comically faint in shock.

She sighed and slowly got out of their queen sized bed and went to gather her unmentionables. She quickly put them on successfully covering her gorgeous body that any man would desire if they were lucky enough to lay their eyes upon them. She went towards their bathroom and fetched her bathrobe quickly tying it on before heading towards the still unconscious Inoichi. She firmly grabbed him from his shoulder and fiercely shook him until he finally managed to snap out of it. "Hey go tell our daughter that what she saw was ok". She pointed towards the door showing him what she wanted him to do.

Inoichi's eyes were like a deer caught in headlights and merely nodded and ran towards the door. He was immediately stopped by a blushing Mio that covered her face in embarrassment. "INOICHI-KUN! Put on some damn close for crying out loud. Do you want your daughter to see you in your birthday suit for Christ sake"?

His eyes widened in realization as he looked down realizing that he was indeed naked. He immediately sprinted towards his clothes and quickly managed to put them on. Once he was done he once again bolted towards the empty door heading towards Ino's room. After a couple of minutes passed he finally arrived at her room and decided to knock before he entered. "Hey Ino-chan can I perhaps come in so we can talk about it". He asked as politely as possible hoping she would let him in.

Ino meanwhile was hiding under her purple covers not sure what to think about what she just saw. She finally sighed and decided to let him in and get it over with. Of course she wasn't a naïve little child that didn't know what adults did since she could hear pretty much everything through their thin walls. "Alright dad you can come in, but you better promise me not to say any weird things alright".

She warned him not wanting to hear anything related towards his activities with her mother. She slowly slid out of her purple bed covers and was greeted with an embarrassed Inoichi. Which was rare in itself since her father was always serious whenever she was around him. That's not to say that he didn't make jokes once in a while which he did, but for the most part he was serious.

He slowly entered her room and sat next to her in her modest sized bed. He sighed and quickly turned serious not wanting drag this out any longer. He turned towards her and saw her curious looking blue eyes indicating that she wanted to know something relating to him. "Come on Ino tell me why you really visited my room so late at night".

Ino gasped at his cunningness at finding out about her motive so quickly. She sighed and started playing with her creamy slender fingers still unsure if she could ask him. She calmed herself and decided to go for it not wanting to lose this opportunity. "Alright daddy I'll tell you but you have to promise me you won't get angry with the reasons alright".

She saw him nod giving her the okay to continue, "Ok the reason I went to your room was so that I can ask if you could perhaps teach me more about our clan's techniques. If I know more about them besides the basic stuff then I could get even stronger right". She brought her hope filled eyes towards his own, but was confused with his dead serious gaze.

Inoichi watched his daughters hoped filled eyes making him question her motive. "Ino can you tell me why you want to get stronger. Is it for Naruto? He sighed when he saw her gasp at being caught so easily. It wasn't that hard to figure out since all girls were the same. Well at least at their age only wanting to get stronger to show their crushes.

Now he knew that it wasn't true for every girl out there, but for the most part it was common. "If that's your reason Ino-chan then you can forget it. If you want me to teach you then you have to take this more seriously. Do this for yourself and not for a boy that barely acknowledges your existence even though you're on his team". He was caught off guard by her determined filled eyes not backing down from his ultimatum.

Ino looked as determined as ever speaking to her father in a clear tone wanting to show him that she wanted to get stronger. She wanted to be one they depended on when they participated in tough missions. She didn't want to always depend on her teammates to get her out of harm's way. Maybe that was the reason she admired Naruto to the point that she had developed a crush on him. She wanted to be like him. She wanted to be strong, independent, and trustworthy. All those things she wanted to have and then maybe Naruto would finally acknowledge her as a fine Kunochi of team 10.

Inoichi sighed and finally submitted to her fire filled eyes not wanting to disappoint her. It wasn't that big of a setback since he was eventually going to offer to train her. Since he wanted his daughter to learn their clan's ways. That way in the future she would become a fine leader when it was time to relinquish his position of clan head. He smiled thinking of the possibilities that she could achieve if taught properly. He laid his firm hands on her slender shoulders, "Fine Ino-chan I'll teach you our clan's techniques and help you improve on you Mind body switch technique". He was startled when he was suddenly grabbed in a tight bear hug from the smiling Ino clearly happy for this.

_(Flashback end)_

**(Location Hokage Office)**

When she told her mother about her plans she was at first shocked with her request, but immediately recovered and smiled at her determination. Of course being the ever knowing mother knew that she wanted to get stronger for Naruto's sake. Which made her realize that she was so easy to figure out. Well at least when it came to her parents she wasn't so sure that her friends had that ability.

Naruto admittedly was a bit curious on wanting to find out why Ino was so tired. The reason could be as simple as being that it was just early in the morning and she was still tired. Or it could've been an even more complicated possibility he would never know. He decided to leave it be not really caring all that much and brought his bored looking face towards his bearded sensei that was talking with the Hokage.

He saw them conversing about something and no matter how much talent he had he couldn't read lips. He smirked realizing the irony of his thought since of course he could read lips thanks to the sharingan of course. He silently activated his sharingan and began to study their conversation. He quickly frowned and deactivated them realizing it was just meaningless chatter and didn't want any part in it. He took it upon himself and began heading towards the office doors. He was just about to exit the office when he was immediately stopped in his tracks by his sensei.

"Hey where do you think you're going Naruto? We barely arrived not too long ago and you're already leaving. Have some patience man". He sighed realizing that he wasn't going to get through to him with simple words so decided to begin or risk him leaving out of boredom. He grabbed the single sheet of paper that the Hokage had handed to him and signaled for his team to gather around him.

Once his students had gathered he began to explain what they were doing for the morning at least. "Alright kids listen up starting today we will officially begin taking missions together and start making some money". He showed them the single loose paper he was carrying and began speaking once again. "Are mission for this morning is a D-ranked mission. Meaning that this mission will be relatively easy, but before you complain about the difficulty it is absolutely necessary for building teamwork alright". His gaze lingered on the three young teens, but was mostly focused on Naruto and Shikamaru who looked plain bored to be there.

He carefully rolled the paper and stuffed it in his coat pocket, "Come on guys let's begin our exciting time together shall we". He waved for them to follow him which they did as the four of them left the office leaving the Hokage to his thoughts.

The wise old man watched his son and his students leaving his office and the only thoughts in his mind were focused on Naruto. "I pray that Naruto behaves himself during these easy missions". He chuckled at the thought of him realizing what exactly a D-rank mission entailed. "I do wonder if he will be able to control his desire to strangle whoever created the D-rank missions". He nervously chuckled when realizing that it was him that had implemented such an idea in the first place.

_(10 minutes later)_

**(Location random Konoha Street)**

Meanwhile with Team 10, the four of them were silently walking towards their destination that was surprisingly not that far away. Asuma was leading ahead then there was Shikamaru that was bored out of his mind after that was Ino who didn't know what to feel right now and last but certainly not least was Naruto who seemed satisfied with the silence.

He quickened his pace passing both teammates reaching Asuma who was silently looking forward. "Hey Asuma-sensei what exactly is our mission? He noticed him stop and smile for some reason.

"That's a very good question Naruto. I was honestly expecting it to come from Shikamaru. I assumed he would be the first one to question our involvement in the mission, but apparently I overestimated his talents". He chuckled when the lazy Nara scoffed at his playful jab.

Shikamaru was slowly walking with his hands in his pockets not really caring what was happening around him. Even though he wasn't paying too much attention he didn't fail to catch what Asuma had said. "Tch, of course I noticed Asuma-sensei. I just didn't feel like reminding you of the obvious knowing you were supposed to tell us before we even began". He smirked when seeing his bearded sensei begin to grumble insults under his breath.

"Alright alright you lazy brat I get it". He waved for them to get closer to him. "Are mission for this morning is a very simple one and should be completed within the time limit being 12 in the afternoon alright". He saw them nod in understanding indicating for him to continue in his explanation. "Are mission entails the three of you to take care of a single little girl for the morning until their parents come back from their anniversary simple right".

The entire team stood in silence over what they had just heard not believing what he said was true. Of course it was Ino that made her voice heard. "What the hell do you mean by that? Why are we babysitting some kids for their parents? Aren't we supposed to be training ninja and need to be doing some exciting mission Asuma-sensei? She complained while placing both hands on each hip not liking what she just heard and she wasn't the only one with the same opinion.

Shikamaru was in shock as well, "Are you serious Asuma-sensei? Are you really going to make us watch over some brats while their parents go make out or something? He was also questioning what the point of being a shinobi was all about. What he just heard was not doing the shinobi title any justice.

Just behind him stood the ever stoic Naruto that was equally annoyed at what he just heard. He knew that they were going to receive this kind of missions early on, but it was still heart breaking that they weren't going on a life threatening mission immediately. He sighed and spoke up, "Asuma-sensei where is this place and who are we watching over exactly".

Asuma turned from the annoyed looking students not exactly wanting to participate in the mission. He smiled when seeing Naruto actually want to get the relatively easy mission out of the way. "It's very simple honestly guys. We are just going to watch over a single kid it's as simple as that". He waved for them to follow him, "Mind you there is another guest that's going to be in the house with us. You don't have to worry about her since she actually older than you guys and can take care of herself just fine. The only person that will give you trouble would be their youngest daughter at about 5 years old. I believe the mission description has her named as Aya".

They continued walking in silence until they finally reached their destination. The house was of modest size indicating that they had to make a decent living. It seemed to be relatively peaceful at least from the outside. Asuma took out the dwindling cigarette from his mouth and flicked it towards the ground stomping it under his sandal. He firmly knocked on the blue colored door when he finally heard someone opening it and greeted them.

Naruto's eyes were focused on the door of the house and was greeted with the parents of the kids. He noticed that they were nicely dressed, but then again they were going to their anniversary. He saw them exchange pleasantries with his sensei until they finally waved them in. He was amazed at how elegant looking the house was from the inside and cemented his thought of them having money to waste. He saw the parents waved for the kids to stand beside them.

The oldest daughter was about 14 or 15 give or take and had very dark hair with equally dark eyes. He admitted that she was pretty, but he noticed her distant attitude indicating that she didn't want to be there in the first place. Right next to her stood her little sister Aya and seemed to be the complete opposite from her sister brightly smiling towards them.

The mature looking woman waved for the eldest daughter to introduce herself, "This young lady here is my eldest daughter". She waved for her to walk forward, "Come on honey introduce yourself to our nice guests". She sighed when she witnessed her scoff not seeing the point in introducing herself to strangers.

The distant looking daughter that was covered in all black fitted with very short shorts walked up to them and mock bowed. "Hello there guests my name is Aimi a pleasure to make your acquaintance". She said in a very sarcastic manner returning towards her spot looking extremely bored.

Naruto smirked at her attitude, _'Well played Aimi well played indeed'. _

The mother sighed and turned her head towards the youngest of the girls. She smiled when seeing how excited she seemed to meet them. "Alright introduce yourself dear". She chuckled when she immediately responded to her request.

The youngest girl quickly ran up to them surprising them on her quickness. She bowed much like her sister had done and spoke with a very gentle voice. "Hello there shinobi-kun my name is Aya pleasure to meet you".

Ino was quite surprised at her manners for being just a little girl. She smiled and introduced herself, "Hello there Aya-chan my name is Ino Yamanaka pleasure to meet you". She extended her arm towards her in hope of a friendly handshake, but was left hanging when she saw her walk up to the calm looking Naruto.

The small girl named Aya walked up to Naruto feeling curious about him. "Hello there shinobi-kun may I please know your name". She sweetly smiled towards him making him a bit uncomfortable at the closeness. He distanced himself from her, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto a pleasure lady Aya".

Aya blushed at being compared to a lady, "Umm t-thank you Naruto nii-chan". She giggled and pointed towards his hair. "May I ask why you have white hair Naruto-nii-chan. You're not old are you? Her curious looking eyes were lingered on the calm looking Naruto.

He managed to smile at her curiosity. Well it wasn't exactly a smile more of a smirk if anything, but that's the most he's smiled in a very long time. "Don't you think white hair looks good on me Aya-chan? He chuckled when seeing her eyes go wide.

Aya furiously nodded her head side to side, "No no no Naruto nii-chan I think it looks really cool on you". She hanged her head in shame thinking that she had made a boo boo with her friend. She was quickly brought out of her slump when she felt a warm hand on top of her head.

Naruto smiled, "Don't worry about it Aya-chan I didn't feel bad about it. It's not like you're the first one to mention my hair. I'm pretty certain the rest of your family is wondering as well right". He saw them nod making him chuckle at their curiosity. He gathered a very small amount of electricity on his palm making Aya's hair frizz from the shock.

Aya was totally dumbfounded with all the stares directed at her. She was about to ask there reason for staring but was unable when she witnessed them burst into laughter. Even her bored looking sister managed to crack a smile. She followed their eyes and was brought with the sight of her hair completely standing upside. She puffed her cheeks in mock anger and crossed her small arms, "That wasn't very nice Naruto nii-chan. How would you like your hair to stand up wildly huh"? She noticed their silence and decided to take a peek. She laughed in embarrassment realizing the irony in her words, "Oh yea it already is isn't it ha-ha".

The rest of his teammates including his sensei were a bit shocked at how different Naruto was when he was near Aya. It seemed like the little girl brought a kinder side to him. It almost seemed like Aya reminded Naruto to someone precious to him.

_(3 hours later)_

The rest of the morning was pretty much the same. Aya would constantly bother Naruto to show her his cool ice abilities and his electricity thinking it was the coolest thing in the world. Surprisingly Naruto seemed to enjoy all the attention that the little girl was giving him and was gladly going along with her instructions. The same couldn't be said for the rest of them. The only thing they could do was watch some T.V and even that was boring after a while. The oldest daughter had immediately left up to her room as soon as her parents had left.

Finally salvation came in the form of their parents arriving, "Hello we are here sorry for being a little late we just had so much fun right dear". The cute couple were smiling in happiness making Ino a little jealous, but was otherwise happy for them.

The entire team gathered around the door saying their final goodbyes, but one certain person was not ready to see them depart. Aya came running towards the white haired boy tightly grabbing him in a bear hug not wanting to see him leave. "No don't go Naruto nii-chan we were having so much fun". She brought her tear filled eyes towards his own making him frown in disappointment. She was surprised when being pushed away making her even sadder thinking she wasn't wanted anymore.

Her frown quickly turned upside down when she was presented with the most beautiful ice shaped star.

"Here Aya-chan this is for you. It will never melt so please take care of it for me alright. I'll come back for it eventually so don't forget to take good care of it for my sake ok Aya-chan". He smiled when seeing her teared streaked face nod in understanding. He waved to them goodbye until they were finally away enough that they couldn't be seen anymore.

Asuma smiled at Naruto's kindness, "That was very kind of you Naruto-kun. I was honestly surprised by your actions. You honestly did most of the work for the team by watching Aya all morning". He gave him a thumbs up and smiled, "Nice job kid".

Naruto continued to walk completely unaffected by Asuma's praise, "So Asuma-sensei I presume we will be getting our next mission right".

Asuma sighed and pulled out another cigarette from his pouch, "Yeah kid, but don't get your hopes up these missions will be pretty similar in terms of difficulty until you guys get up to snuff on teamwork. After that is done then will see if we can bump it up to a C-rank mission. That's were the fun will begin so don't worry and hang in there alright".

Naruto nodded and continued to walk calmly towards the Hokage office to receive their payment and their next mission.

_(Several days later)_

**(Location Hokage Office)**

The whole team stood inside the Hokage office awaiting there next mission. They had been doing nothing but D-rank mission all week. To be honest it was a pretty miserable experience for all of them. Since the missions were mostly walking the Inuzuka's dogs around which ended with Shikamaru and Ino being dragged around the street. Other meaningless missions they had to do was cleaning the village streets which always ended with someone poking themselves with the sharp stick.

Well it was mainly Shikamaru that it happened to. Last but not least was the annoying cat that they had to capture. The cat would always escape from Ino's and Shikamaru's clutches. The only way they managed to capture it was of course with Naruto's help. He simply shocked it with his electricity making it numb. It was pretty mean to do that, but the Uzumaki had lost all his patience and quite honestly wanted the cat dead.

After all that they had expected to be given more of the same, but were surprised when the Hokage seemed to be deadly serious. The Hokages gaze lingered on the three of them making them flinch at his overpowering killing intent. Well it didn't affect Naruto since he pretty much had to deal with people trying to kill him every day whether it be here or with his travels with Itachi.

The Hokage finally released his intense gaze on them and smiled making them sweat drop on his complete turnaround. "Congratulations guys I feel that you are now ready to take on a C-rank mission starting today".

Most of them were shocked with the news while Naruto was excited to finally get tougher mission and not have to pick up dog crap.

Sarutobi chuckled at their expression, "Now now guys I understand that this is a little sudden, but I truly feel that you guys have worked hard enough to deserve it right Asuma". He turned towards his son who merely nodded in agreement.

"I believe the Hokage is right in this matter. I have seen all of you improve in your teamwork and while you're not the best at it you sure are the strongest". He smiled towards them feeling proud at their accomplishment even though he knew that most of the work was being done by Naruto.

He realized from the very start that Naruto would be the main guy in Team 10, but know after some time with them he believed that more than ever. In between the D-rank mission he learned that the hard way when he was trapped in a genjutsu by Naruto during one of their many spars they had.

He underestimated his genjutsu abilities and was trapped in a paralyzing genjutsu and for the life of him couldn't manage to escape it no matter how hard he tried. He finally needed to submit to him admitting defeat to the genin. Now he knew that it wasn't a real life battle to the death, but he had to give credit where credit is due. He was thoroughly impressed with his abilities once again and wondered how far he could go.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the Hokage who once again began to speak. "Alright I have a special mission just for you guys and it requires you to leave the village for it. You will be investigating a village near the land of waves since they have apparently stopped delivering status updates like they had done for several years now. Your mission is to find out what happened and come back alive understood".

The whole team nodded understanding the importance of their mission. The bearded Jounin waved for them to follow him, "Alright guys follow me so we can prepare for the mission ahead". Team 10 followed him out the office door leaving Sarutobi alone once again. He interlocked his fingers and began to think, _'I do hope nothing bad happens to them while they are away'. _

_(1 hour later)_

**(Location in front of Konoha's Main gate)**

The whole team gathered around while Asuma checked on their individual bags. He noticed something was wrong with Naruto's own bag. It was lighter than what he expected, "Hey Naruto did you make sure to pack some food. You do realize that this trip will last about a week right".

Naruto nodded, "Yeah I was there when you informed us Asuma-sensei. Don't worry about my food situation since I could go pretty long without going hungry. In fact when I do go hungry I could just eat my own electricity and I'm totally fine". He gazed at their confused looking faces not realizing that it was totally unheard of. He shrugged off their stares and nudged for them to proceed.

Once the team had regained their composure they followed him towards the gate. They waved goodbye to the two guards named Izumo and Kotetsu and began their 3 day journey to the village. The journey there was pretty silent for the most part besides the constant bickering between Ino and Shikamaru. However on their first day in camp something very interesting happened regarding Naruto and Ino.

_(Flashback)_

**(Location camp site)**

Naruto was currently sitting on top of a log that seemed to be there for a long time. It was pretty late into the night as he gazed towards the fire enjoying the crackling noises that it made. It kind of reminded him of his own crackling when he used his electricity. Seeing both Shikamaru and Asuma preoccupied with their own stuff decided to go on walk and find out what Ino was doing. He hasn't seen her for a couple of minutes already and was curious on what she was doing.

He walked further into the woods until he finally reached a modest sized lake that was gleaming in the moonlight. "I guess I could go for a swim seeing as I'm pretty smelly from all the walking". He was about to strip off his clothing, but was suddenly blasted with an extremely loud scream. He covered his ears and immediately tried to find out the cause. His eyes widened at the sight of a bare Ino that was shivering in fright or was that anger he wasn't sure.

He shook off his brief headache and was immediately yelled at once again by a furious looking Ino who by now had managed to somehow put her clothes back on.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING PEEPING ON ME NARUTO!? I didn't take you for a pervert Naruto-kun, but I guess all boys are the same aren't they hmphh. She puffed her cheeks and began to stomp right at Naruto that seemed uncaring to her tantrum.

Ino brought her hand upwards and swung it as hard as she could towards him, but was unfortunately stopped by a thick layer of ice that seemed to block her strike. She grabbed her hand in pain, "AHHH! My fucking hand hurts!

Naruto stood unmoving as he watched Ino wither in pain, "Next time Ino-chan try not to hit someone that is way more powerful than yourself. It could very well lead to your demise if you meet someone stronger that doesn't give you a warning". He waved goodbye and began to head to camp leaving behind the shocked Ino who seemed saddened at his reaction.

_(Present time)_

After that incident things between Ino and Naruto had been pretty tense. After a while though things seemed to smooth out and was all back to normal. They finally arrived at the village and just from looking from the outside they could already tell that the village had been devastated. They cautiously entered the village gates that had been torn asunder and began to examine the surrounding streets looking for any survivors.

The only thing they were greeted with was hundreds upon hundreds of dead bodies that lingered the empty streets. The village was like a ghost town since silence reign in the area. The stench was god awful indicating that the villagers have been dead for a while and the assailant was long gone by now.

Ino was not faring well seeing all the dead bodies in the village, "W-who could do something like this. All these poor villagers were massacred, but for what cause". Ino was on the verge of a nervous breakdown not expecting to see someone dead even though she knew that it was part of the job. She was comforted by Asuma who seemed to share in her disgust, "This village was responsible for certain trade able items to the hidden leaf. Maybe there motive was to harm the Hidden Leaf by taking out a critical trading village".

Shikamaru nodded, "Yes the more I think about it the more it all makes sense. This place was responsible for exporting valuable metals needed in the Hidden Leaf. By taking out this town we will now have to find another alternative for the metals".

Naruto also agreed with their assumptions, "Come on let's explore some more and try to figure out who did this". They all nodded and followed his lead. After several minutes of searching they came up empty on the identity of the person who did this.

Asuma sighed and waved his team to gather around, "Alright guys it seems like our suspect has indeed escaped. Let's go make camp and head back to the village and report on what we found". They nodded and followed Asuma, but they immediately stopped when they felt a very dark energy coming from behind them.

There stood on top of a broken down house a man with full Anbu attire except for the mask. His face was covered by a huge scar and his brown eyes were filled with malice. His hair was as dark as the night as it flowed gracefully in the wind. "Well Well Well look what we have here. It seems like I was correct and they did send someone to investigate." He began to walk towards them in a brisk pace smirking wildly the whole time. "Lookey here they sent a bunch of kids and an old fart that thinks he looks cool with that ridiculous beard of his".

His eyes lingered on the blond of the group making her shiver in fright at being looked at like a piece of meat. "Lookey here they brought me something to enjoy when I kill rest of you. Now isn't Konoha nice ha-ha-ha". He laughed lecherously thinking of all the things he could do with a virgin like herself. He licked his lips in anticipation, "Now who wants to die first? He looked towards Ino once again and blew her a kiss making her gag in disgust, "Except you my lovely since of course I will ravage you later when I kill these fools".

He stopped in his tracks when he realized that he hadn't introduced himself yet, "Excuse my rudeness madam, but I failed to mention my name". He bowed and spoke with a clear voice, Ryo Hayate a pleasure to make your acquaintance young lady". He smiled and continued walking towards them clearly confident that he could take them all down. For all they knew he could, but one person of course had no such doubts and that would be Naruto.

Naruto stepped in front of the lecherous looking man and noticed that he had a Kumo headband. However his headband had a scratch across it indicating that this man was a missing ninja from Kumogakure and was dangerous. He yelled towards Asuma who was equally calm even though the situation looked dire. "Hey Asuma is this guy in the bingo book? He saw Asuma nod in agreement. He turned his head towards the cocky looking man that was busy picking away at his ear not really caring that they knew who he was.

Naruto signaled for the rest of them to stand back, "Guys get back let me handle this". This made them confused, but otherwise listened to his instructions not feeling as confident as they did before knowing this guy was a very dangerous criminal.

Asuma yelled back not liking the idea of him facing him all on his own. "You can't face him on your own Naruto. Don't be foolish and think you can win just because you think you can. This person is an A-rank missing ninja wanted in the village of Kumogakure for killing a high official from that village. This guy is way over your head let me handle him stand back that's an order".

Naruto chuckled at Asuma's weak willed order, "Do not worry about me Asuma-sensei just watch. I'll show you what true power is".

Ryo had about enough of their useless banter and quickly brought out a long blade that was strapped on his back. "Please kid, listen to your old man and simply let the big boys fight alright". He immediately dashed from sight thinking that his speed would be enough to end the fight, but he was wrong. He sliced towards his body in a speed that even impressed Asuma thinking that Naruto would not be able to dodge. However his worry was for nothing when he witnessed Naruto simply grabbed the long blade from the air and held it firmly.

The scarred man was confused as to how this kid was able to follow his movements and on top of that be able to grab his blade from thin air. His eyes widened when he witnessed the infamous looking sharingan eyes explaining everything. He smirked at his realization, "Now I understand how you were able to track my movements for being one so young. You're an Uchiha aren't you"? He chuckled at his observation not believing what he was seeing. Since he had heard that the entire Uchiha clan was wiped out, but from this scene it seemed like the Hidden Leaf was hiding something.

Naruto smirked and quickly activated his blue sharingan and shattered the blade he was holding into a thousand pieces. "I am more than that my friend".

The man was shocked beyond belief that he was able to freeze his blade and shatter it. The very same blade that he had carried for years ever since his father had given it to him. The same blade he had used in the massacre of this village was now shattered beyond repair. His anger rose with each passing as the realization of never handling his precious blade began to sink in. His body erupted in electricity and his eyes were bloodshot from the anger he was feeling. "YOU FUCKING BRAT YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! YOU WILL FUCKING PAAAAY! The man named Ryo exploded from view and reappeared in front of Naruto that merely weaved away from his electric infused punches.

Naruto's sharingan was in full overdrive trying to accommodate for Ryo's dramatic change of speed. Even through all the change happening in Ryo's body Naruto was still leaps and bounds ahead of him.

Ryo saw that he wasn't even grazing him at all even though he had gone all out, "HOLD still you fucking Uchiha brat. Hold still so I can kill you and go rape your pretty little friend over their". He licked his lips once again, "I'm sure she would be screaming my name by the time I'm done with her and she will constantly beg for more HA-HA-HA". The deranged man continued to spout threats even though it was pretty clear he was fighting a losing battle.

Naruto decided to just stay still and let him hit him. As soon as he stopped he was immediately punched straight in the face.

Ryo thinking that his lucky break would result in him flying instead left him with a broken hand. The only thing he hit was the shield of ice that Naruto had formed breaking his hand on impact.

Ryo grabbed his hand in pain, "AHH! You fucking shit what did you do to my hand. I swear I'll kill you if you don't give up". His cocky attitude was beginning to diminish when realizing that he was going to die if he didn't find some way to escape.

To the shock of everyone in the area Naruto began to laugh. This laugh however was laced with malicious intent directed towards the missing ninja that was basically begging to be released. "You honestly think you have a chance in defeating me". His demeanor turned dangerously dark. "Don't make me laugh you fool". He grabbed the man's broken arm and began twisting it making him scream in pain.

The once confident looking Ryo was now crying under the intense pain coming from his broken arm. "S-stop twisting it you fucking brat I'll kill you I swear I'll kill you!

Naruto finally stopped twisting it, "Still spouting those empty threats towards the person that holds your life in his hands. Foolish Ryo I thought you were going to kill us. What happened to that confident looking Ryo that was just here a moment ago? Did he disappear when I shattered your precious sword perhaps"? He continued to mock the defeated man that was desperately trying to escape his grip.

Naruto began to charge up his free hand with electricity while the other held him in place. "Any last words Ryo Hayate or did you lose your voice when you lost yourself". He didn't even give him time to reply and immediately went for the killing blow. He wasn't able to deliver since the entire Team 10 shouted for him to stop.

"Stop it Naruto-Kun don't kill him doesn't he deserve a chance to redeem himself". Ino shouted towards the blank looking Naruto.

"Don't do it Naruto your better than this let him rot in a jail cell death is the easy way out". Shikamaru advised him on letting the man live so that he could rot in a jell cell.

"Naruto do not kill him that is an order you know how important the information he has is. This could help us discover the reason he did this in the first place and if they have anything similar planned". Asuma ordered not wanting to release this opportunity even though he knew that the man deserved death for the countless murderers of innocents.

Naruto lowered his head in disappointment not believing what he was hearing, "Are you guys seriously defending this sick bastard? Do you all realize that this man was responsible for the deaths of countless innocent lives? Children, women, men, animals, they were all killed by this bastard and you think I should let him live".

His voice turned into a low growl, **"Don't make me laugh. Ino, Shikamaru you need to realize that this world is not fair and death is a part of life. By killing this man I will avenge countless of lives and will be saving countless more". ** He turned his head towards his sensei that was shocked by Naruto feral looking face. He witnessed his sharingan spinning wildly feeling their masters' anger. "**You sensei of all people should know that what I am doing is justice. I am ashamed that you are my sensei right now". **

The skies above them began to darken and tremble with thunder and lightning. Countless lightning bolts began to strike the ground scorching it under its power. Naruto turned towards his prisoner, **"You will receive divine judgment for the crimes you have committed now die and burn in the pits of hell". **The man once known as Ryo didn't even have time to respond. Naruto had pierced his heart with his electric infused hand quickly ending his life.

He brought his hand from the man's chest and let the body drop to floor in a dead heap. He breathed in deeply trying to calm down enough to be able to control his speech. Finally he managed to calm down enough resulting in the skies becoming clear once again. He began to walk towards the group that seemed to be ashamed for even suggesting that he let him live. Well that didn't go the same for Asuma no he looked beyond pissed with him.

Asuma stepped right in front of Naruto stopping him in his tracks, "What the hell Naruto didn't you hear me. I ordered you to not kill the man, but instead you disobey my orders and kill him. This does not sit well with me Naruto and I thought you were a genius in the making. I was wrong you're just a spoiled child only thinking of himself".

Naruto chuckled at Asuma attempts to anger him, "If you truly think that way then do something about it Asuma-sensei". He emphasized the word sensei making him even angrier than before.

Asuma sighed and brought another one of his cigarettes, "Whatever kid do what you want I don't care what you do anymore". He signaled for Ino and Shikamaru who were watching the entire exchanged clearly worried on how things might change. "Ino, Shikamaru here use this and put Ryo in a body bag. We need to bring him in and investigate his mind and see what he knows".

Naruto objected to Asuma's instructions, "No leave him be. You know that Kumo will come looking for him. Why not leave him here and show them that they can't mess with Konoha or they will end the same as him".

Asuma stood in thought and agreed that his plan was best, "Alright kid, but if this fails and it only angers them then it's all on you". He waved for them to follow him seeing that the mission is done.

All of them have learned a valuable lesson in being a shinobi and oddly enough it came from Naruto of all people. Ino and Shikamaru immediately realized that Naruto was in a totally different league from them and it made them thank Kami that he was on their team.

_(A couple hours later)_

3 mysterious individuals arrived on the scene that Naruto and crew had left a couple of hours ago. The team consisted of a blond girl and blue eyes with large breasts. Next to her stood a red headed girl that was tan in color and next to her stood a white haired boy that was sucking on a lollipop carefully inspecting the missing ninja's body.

The tan looking white haired kid poked the lifeless body, "Oi Samui who do you think did this to our guy? He asked the blue eyed girl wanting to know her opinion on the matter.

The large breasted girl who seemed to be in her early teens shook her head, "I don't know Omoi, but whoever did it seemed to leave this body on purpose".

The tan white haired kid known as Omoi stood up, "Do you think there still here just waiting for us to drop our guard and ambush us and when they finally win torture us". He was immediately hit over the head by the red headed girl that seemed irritated with his over assumptions.

"Get a grip Omoi do you honestly think that they would wait all this time just for us to show up". She screamed making the white haired kid cringe in pain.

The lollipop loving teen picked his ear to try and get the ringing in his ear to go away. "Geez Karui you don't have to shout so loud it was just a suggestion. Next thing you know your loud ass voice just alerted the enemy and they are now headed straight for us ready to torture us". He was hit once again by the fuming red headed girl named identified as Karui.

Their little ramble was quickly put to a stop by the ever calm looking Samui. "Come on guys wrap this guy up and let's report this to Bee-sama". They both nodded and quickly sealed the missing ninja's body marking their mission a success.

The blue eyed woman stood gazing towards the destruction of the village seeing all the dead bodies sprawled across the streets_. 'Whoever did this was really cool to kill him and essentially avenging all these people here. I wonder who this mysterious shinobi is that could so easily kill an A-ranked missing-nin'_. She was brought out of her train of thought by her two teammates signaling that they were leaving. "Come on Samui let's get this over with and report to Bee-sama I'm sure he would like to know what happened". She nodded and walked towards them, but not before giving one last glance behind her.

_(2 days later)_

**(Location Half-way to Konoha)**

The team had been walking in relative silence ever since the incident that happened before. That was quickly broken when they heard a small cry coming from the sky and noticed it was a white bird. The white bird circled around until it came down and perched itself on Asuma's arm. Asuma retrieved the small note strapped to his leg and released the bird back to the air.

He unrolled the tiny scroll and his visage grew grave. He turned towards his students and explained the situation, "Alright guys I know we just finished with our own mission, but it seems like we have been assigned a new one just now. Before you ask let me tell you. This mission entails that we travel to the land of waves and assist Team 7 on their own mission. Be aware that this mission is now considered an A-ranked mission due to certain circumstances that happened with Team 7. "Alright team let's move out we need to get there as quickly as possible to be able to help Team 7 understood". The entire team nodded in understanding while different thoughts ran through their minds. Ino was thinking of Sasuke while Shikamaru was thinking of his best friend Choji while Naruto was thinking about the upcoming fight and was also curious about meeting Sasuke in a while. He knew that this mission was going to be very interesting".

_**A/N: And done phew that was a long one man seriously. If you think that Naruto won to easily against the A-rank missing-nin then let me point out that Ryo didn't have his blade anymore rendering him pretty useless. Also this is the first time that I introduced Samui into the story and for Samui fans out there I am officially stating that this will be a Naruto/ Samui paring. Maybe I will add a few others but the main one will be Samui since I think she would fit quite nicely with Naruto's personality. However the time when they meet is still quite a bit away or not it depends what I want to add after the wave arc. If you have any question with this chapter or the future of the story please ask in a form of a review or a pm. **_

_**P.S: The next chapter will not be out for a couple of weeks since I will be playing the heck out of Black Ops 2. I know some of you have gotten it early or plan on getting it and would like for you to share your enthusiasm with me lol. **_


	19. Revelation

_**A:N: Welcome my fellow reader I bring you yet another chapter to my story. I know It has been a long time, but I have stuff to do so there. This chapter is more of a filler and informs you about the things to come so pay attention. That is all so please REVIEW AND ENJOY!**_

_(2 days later)_

**(Location border of the Land of Waves)**

Their journey to the Land of Waves was quite uneventful for the most part considering what they just went through on their last mission. Most of the team was silent not wanting to bring up the events that occurred a couple of days ago. Well it wasn't like that in the beginning. Ino couldn't stop blabbering to Naruto about the things that she witnessed happened to him.

At first he was a bit annoyed at her constant talking on how he was different and why didn't he show them what he was capable of. After some time however he learned that he couldn't really blame her for being a bit curious about him. After all he really hasn't shown them much of his capabilities aside from the casual jutsu and his sharingan of course.

This was his mind set all along, was to show as little as possible of what he was really capable of doing. He couldn't help it that time while they were against someone that didn't care for such trivial matters. He needed to be at his best against that missing-nin or risk putting the lives of his comrades in serious danger.

No matter how annoying or naïve they acted he still considered them his responsibility. Even though the word "Team" was a bit of a stretch considering he had done most of the work on that mission. That however didn't matter all that much to him since he liked to test his limit when it was necessary of course.

He needed to get into those sorts of predicaments to find out how much he is actually capable of and how much he needed to work on. He knew that there would be always someone stronger than him, but he was still unsure by how much. He knew he was strong, but he didn't know how strong. After all he hasn't really fought anyone that has given him a life or death challenge.

Well if you don't count his sensei that was beyond extreme when it came to his training. Itachi always went full force whenever they sparred and he would commonly be hanging by a thread when they were done. Thanks to the Kyuubi inside of him his life threatening injuries would heal relatively quickly. Knowing that information Itachi didn't hold back and gave it his all to make sure he became the strongest he could be while he was there.

He also came to find out how Itachi's personality was like and what he would like to do for fun. Even though his fun time was spent on sleeping and training it was still pretty nice to know about them personally. He considered Itachi almost like a father figure, but not exactly. To him Itachi leaned more towards brother figure since he was always helping him on fixing his technique if he did something wrong. He would always look after him whenever they got into serious fights and wouldn't let anything harm him.

Very few times had he witnessed his sensei really pissed, but when he did it was not a pretty sight that's for sure. He was like an unstoppable force with the sole intention of killing you. On their travels he witnessed Itachi in very different lights. He saw him hook up with several women, but he never really became attached to any of them. He knew that Itachi was lonely, but he believed that it didn't really affect him all that much.

Through his sensei actions and the way he handled loneliness he came to accept the fact that he was alone in this world. His friends were hopefully in a better place and were happy wherever they were. He promised himself that he wouldn't get attached to anyone else not wanting to put them in danger. He immediately realized that he would have enemies and those enemies would target his loved ones to get to him.

Naruto's cold blue gaze lingered on his team in front of him and noticed that they were getting exhausted from the constant running they had to do. To him of course this was child's play, but to them this was most likely one of the hardest workouts they had done in their lives.

Once again he couldn't really blame them for their weakness since they weren't trained by one of the most infamous traitors of the Hidden Leaf Village that was regarded a genius among the Uchiha clan. He smirked when thinking back on how fortunate he was to be trained by one of the strongest shinobi in existence. It was really a stroke of luck that Itachi took a notice of him and sacrificed his time with his own family just to train him.

His white locks rustled in the cool breeze of the night as he brought his cold eyes towards his bearded sensei. He realized from the start that his actions would directly conflict with his sensei's. He knew that it would greatly upset him when he decided to directly disobey his orders, but he felt it was necessary at the time. He was severely disappointed with the way his sensei wanted to handle the missing-nin. He wanted for him to spare him and capture him. Instead of doing what he felt was necessary by killing him and avenging the entire village by his actions.

If he were to be given another chance to go back and change the outcome of his decision. He would still decide the same since he felt that monsters who would kill innocent civilians just to get back at someone or something were the worst kind of people. They would sacrifice anyone just to achieve something that is worthless in his eyes. The way he sees it is that if you want to have your revenge on someone then you go directly to the people that are involved. Not prey on innocent civilians that happen to live in the same land that his enemies happen to own.

His hate filled eyes moved away from his Jounin sensei and fixed themselves on the darkness of the forest once again. In the back of his mind he could feel someone laughing at his current pain. He knew who it was and decided to just leave it alone for now anyways. A couple of minutes later he felt that they were close to their destination and was correct in his assumption when he witnessed Asuma stop.

Asuma brought his hand upwards and signaled for his team to stop for the moment. He pulled a single white cigarette from his pack and lit it on fire. He exhaled a much needed breath of smoke and gazed towards his exhausted looking students aside from Naruto of course. He had been agitated ever since the ending of the mission and was now more than ever when looking at his calm face as if saying he knew everything. It strongly reminded him of Itachi and Kakashi since they both wore masks that screamed superiority. His eyes moved towards a small weathered sign that pointed to a small town not far from their location.

"Alright guys listen up. We are heading into town to get some proper beds to sleep in and food before we head into the Land of Waves by boat". He chuckled at Shikamaru's and Ino's relieved faces. He waved his hand for them to follow, "Come on guys lets head out before they run out of available rooms and we are forced to camp out for the night again". As soon as his words left his mouth he saw a certain blond immediately bolt from place heading towards the small town ahead of them. She most certainly didn't want to risk sleeping outside again just because they were late.

After several minutes of running at a moderate pace they finally reached their destination. The town for the most part was relatively quiet and peaceful. There were a couple people here and there that seemed to be enjoying their night out, but for the most part it was quiet. Asuma signaled for his team to stop, "Alright guys I'm heading out to go get us some rooms for the night before they run out. So for now go explore the town if you want. Just don't stay out too late since I am expecting you to return to this place at about 10:00 PM". He checked his small watch to see what time it was, "It's 9:05 right now so that gives you about an hour so don't go beyond that got it". His intense gaze lingered on the males of the team and was answered with a small nod from the both of them that they understood.

Ino was smiling in happiness over their change in sleeping arrangements and their freedom to explore a bit. She waved for Shikamaru and Naruto to follow her, "Come on guys let's try and find something to do before we check in for the night". Her cheerful attitude apparently didn't reach them since they still stood in place with their bored looking visage in full blast. A giant tick mark formed on her forehead meaning that she wasn't pleased in the slightest with their reaction.

So she decided to get their attention the old fashion way by screaming as loud as she could of course. "GUYS LETS GO AND ENJOY OUR NIGHT ALRIGHT! She smirked when seeing the lazy genius of the team being startled by her loud shriek. Her ploy however didn't work on the ever silent Naruto who just shrugged it off like a pro.

The lazy Nara poked at his ear trying to relieve the loud ringing in his ear, "Geez Ino can you please not scream so freaking loud in the middle of the night". His rare serious look fell on her, "Do you want to alert the possible enemy that we are here". His serious gaze continued to linger on her making her uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

She averted her eyes away from his in hope that she would escape his gaze, "G-geez Shikamaru you don't have to go all serious on me about it. I mean come one who in their right mind would attack us when Naruto is with us right". She puffed her chest in apparent victory when seeing Shikamaru begin to seriously think about what she just said. She opened a single eye and added, "Who would attack us in this peaceful looking town its unheard of right".

Her question was answered briefly by a very serious sounding Naruto that had begun to walk forward. "Do not forget the fact that we are ninja Ino-chan. We will always have enemies somewhere; and those enemies are just waiting for us to let our guard down so they can strike". He stopped in mid stride making it even more serious, "Also don't think of me as some kind of god that can't be hurt". His cold voice traveled through the cool air making them both flinch at his tone; "Remember what I told you before Ino-chan there is always someone stronger than you".

They both stood in awkward silence thinking on what Naruto had just preached to them. They both noticed that he was getting even farther and farther away from them making them chase after him. "Wait up Naruto-kun where are you going? Sensei told us not to go too far didn't you hear him".

They both chased after him much to the dismay of Naruto who simply wanted to be alone for a while. The next couple of minutes were spent on seeing all the sights around town. They also spent a good amount of time searching for a good place to eat before they headed back. Well it was mostly Ino's plan, but they didn't mind it much since they had nothing better to do. They finally found a small establishment and decided they would eat there for the night. The three of them entered making a very obvious ringing sound from the door proclaiming their arrival.

All three of them were a little confused by the people that occupied the small restaurant or much better described as a tavern. A bunch of mean looking individuals occupied the small tavern making them a little uncomfortable by all the lecherous glares. They were directed at Ino of course since it was rare for a blond girl much less with blue eyes to be there. However it was not all bad since they were kindly guided to an empty table that was quite a distance away from the lecherous looking men. That were loudly drinking their drinks and shouting amongst each other for the hell of it.

The kind seeming lady that looked to be in her mid-twenties came up to them and brought out a pen and a small notebook waiting to take their orders. "Hello there my name is Mika and I'll be your waitress may I please get your order for tonight". Her warm smile made them feel welcome in an otherwise hostile environment.

Ino was the one that ordered for them, "Yes we would like some Onigiri (Rice Balls) with some green tea please" Ino's smile traveled to the girl making her smile even brighter than before. They witnessed the kind maid go back towards the kitchen and turn in the order. It really shouldn't take that long to prepare since they only ordered rice balls which were pretty easy to make.

While they waited for her to return with their order unsurprisingly Ino decided to start up a conversation with them. She brought her slender hand covering the side of her mouth not wanting the bad men from hearing her. "Hey guys we better finish up quick so we can get the hell out of this place. These guys are giving me the creeps. It's like they've never seen a girl for Christ sake". She visibly shivered at the thought of the men coming any closer than they were already.

Shikamaru just laid back on his seat and closed his eyes, "Don't worry about them Ino there just your typical drinking guys. Quite honestly you see them everywhere now days". His lazy gaze shifted towards Naruto's own and tensed when seeing his own icy blue eyes trained on the loud sounding men. He sighed and tried to calm the serious looking Naruto that seemed to be ready to murder those poor guys with his eyes alone.

Which he believed that he could do which was the scariest part about this whole situation. "Come on Naruto don't get riled up by a bunch of drinking nobody's. There just having there drinks they won't try anything". He relaxed a bit when seeing Naruto remove his eyes from them. His eyes lingered on the sight of the waitress heading towards their small table.

The young looking waitress known as Mika cheerfully walked towards their table and delivered a tray full of Onigiri. She placed the green tea next to each of them and waved them goodbye. Naruto cautiously gazed upon his own drink and before he took a sip decided to inspect it for anything abnormal.

His keen sense of smell detected no abnormal anomalies that would suggest it was poisoned. He brought it up to his mouth and took a much needed drink to quench his building thirst. He carefully put the hot tea down and saw his teammates begin to eat the rice balls. He decided he wasn't going to eat since he wasn't that hungry to begin with.

While the team enjoyed their meal the loud drunken men were loudly telling jokes amongst each other while banging cups resulting in spilled bear all over the floor. A hefty looking man with a modest beard raised his cup and hollered for the petite waitress to come over. "Hey Mikaa-chan get your nice ass over here and give us some more drinks! He yelled his order to the waitress.

He was beginning to get impatient with the waitress since it took her some time to get to him while she took another order from Ino. His lecherous looking eyes narrowed on the group and lingered on the attractive blond of the group. He licked his dried lips in anticipation. His eyes drifted towards the white haired kid that seemed unaffected by the environment.

He presumed that the kid was either really good or he was just full of himself. He was willing to bet the latter, but you could never be too sure these days. His eyes detached from the boy and saw the kind looking waitress walk up to him and pour him another drink. He smiled towards her and quickly drank his ale signaling his men to follow him outside.

The three of them saw them leave the small tavern. Ino sighed in relief, "Finally they left. I thought they would be here all night". She checked at her purple small watch and gasped at how much time they had spent already. "Come on guys we better leave we have less than ten minutes to get to the hotel or who knows what sensei will do to us for being late".

Before Ino could pull out her small purse to pay for the meal Naruto swiftly intercepted her and laid a couple of bills on the table. "Don't worry about it lets head out". Ino blushed and nodded. The two of them followed the white haired boy out of the tavern waving goodbye to the nice waitress.

Naruto breathed in and took in the refreshing cool air of the night into his lungs. He saw the rest of his team do the same and smirked at their behavior. His smirk however quickly disappeared when he felt a very malicious aura ahead of them. He decided he would keep it to himself, but he noticed that Shikamaru felt it as well. Ino however didn't feel it and continued smiling while they traveled towards the hotel. As they traveled through a very dark section of the village Naruto immediately signaled for his team to stop in their tracks.

Ino was a bit confused on his sudden command, "W-what's the matter Naruto? Do you see something"? Ino began to look around and immediately saw what had made Naruto stop. It was the same bunch of guys that were in the tavern a few minutes ago. She shivered at what they had in mind, but quickly managed to calm down knowing that Naruto was there. This was how much she trusted Naruto. She knew that he was strong and trustworthy and when she was with him it felt like they couldn't be defeated. Her assumption would be proven correct once again.

Naruto stood in front of Shikamaru and Ino in a sort of protective manner making the supposed leader of the group laugh.

The man that had commanded the waitress to give him another drink stepped in front and began to laugh at Naruto actions. "HAHAHA, kid do you honestly think that by standing in front of them you're going to protect them". He continued laughing and got the rest of his team involved. "Don't make me laugh boy. Now I'll make it real simple and you could go home to your little mommy and drink some milk. The only thing you need to do is leave the pretty little blond girl over there behind and we'll let you and your friend over there Scott free. What do you say do we have a deal little boy". The leader of the group frowned at the lack of emotion coming from the boy. It was like his threat was nothing for him.

Naruto meanwhile stood with a calm looking face the whole time thinking over how to handle them as quickly as possible without making a scene. He smirked and began to walk towards the leader of the group making him tense in anticipation. Naruto put out his hand making the leader of the group stare at it in confusion. Naruto smiled and offered him his hand, "You've got a deal leader-san. Let's shake on it and make it official alright".

The leader of the group was a bit confused same went with his posy. His confusion quickly erased and was replaced with a lecherous looking smile. "Good choice boy now leave with your friend over there and leave the girl". The light in his black eyes glinted in anticipation on all the possibilities he could have with the girl. "Don't worry about your friend I'll make sure we take good care of her". The rest of his posy laughed at their bosses' sense of humor. They also waited in anticipation on what was going to happen during the night.

Meanwhile Ino looked mortified over what she just witnessed. She was extremely close to tears at seeing the person she admired just giving her away like that. She glared at him with tear filled eyes not believing what she just witnessed. "W-what t-the hh-hell are you doing Naruto-kun. Are you seriously just giving me away like that? I thought you my friend, but now I realize you're just a cold hearted bastard that doesn't care for his friends".

Before she could continue with her insults towards the white haired boy she was stopped by Shikamaru. The lazy genius looking as serious as ever put his hand on her shoulder, "Don't believe what you see Ino. Naruto would never give you away like that. Just watch and wait and then you'll understand what Naruto is planning".

Shikamaru smiled and released Ino from his grip and gazed back towards the white haired boy. He took a stance and brought his hands together. The shadows began to weave through the ground and were headed directly for the people behind the leader. The group had no idea what was happening under them since they were pretty much common thugs. Shikamaru waited for Naruto to begin with the supposed plan he believed he had.

Naruto continued smiling and immediately sensed Shikamaru's shadows creeping around the rest of them. He was surprised that Shikamaru had caught on so quickly, but on the other hand he was kind of expecting it. He tightened his grip on the leader making him squirm under the extreme pressure in his hand.

The leader of the group began to panic when feeling the building pressure in his arms. "G-get off me you fucking asshole. Release my hand before I kill you, y-you hear". His threats however did nothing to release him from his iron grip. In fact he only felt it become even stronger than before. His resolve was quickly falling through the crack, "G-guys help me out this kid doesn't want to release me".

The guys that followed the leader however did not move a single muscle and only gazed at their leader with a blank look. The bearded man was confused on what was happening, but when he saw the white haired boy with the sharingan he understood. He immediately realized that he was going to die tonight, "P-please l-llet me go. I'll do anything just d-don't kill me". The bearded man begged for his life not realizing that his time on this earth was over.

Naruto adopted a face of empathy and simply gazed at the pathetic looking man that was begging for his miserable life. They were all the same in his book. Always the tough guy at the start then begs for their lives once they realize that they have no chance. Naruto began to channel pure electricity through the bearded man killing him from the inside.

He made his death as quick as possible believing that a slow death was unnecessary and inhumane. The man dropped dead in a heap and quickly passed on to the other side. The rest of the guys were still trapped by a genjutsu and by Shikamaru's shadow technique just in case.

Shikamaru released his technique knowing that it wasn't necessary anymore. He stood up and rubbed his shoulder in relief, "So Naruto what are you going to do with them. Are you going to kill them or what"? Shikamaru caught his small nod telling him that he was correct. He shifted his gaze towards the startled Ino who was surprisingly calm about the whole thing. "Hey Ino pay attention this is what happens to bad people".

Ino nodded and managed to compose her growing tension, "Y-yeah I know Shikamaru, but do we really have to kill them? I mean they were only following this guy. It's not their fault they were led down the wrong path right? Her eyes shifted between Naruto and Shikamaru looking for an answer. The answer came from Naruto who was inching ever so closer to the blank looking men.

"Ino-chan you have a valid point in what you're saying. However ask yourself this how would you feel if one of these guys became the leader and did the exact same thing to another person. Would you be willing to take the blame for causing someone else pain by leaving them alive?

Ino gazed towards the guys and sighed knowing that Naruto was correct. "Your right Naruto-kun I wouldn't want someone else to face something like this". She hanged her head low in shame for even thinking for a moment on letting them live. It was just like the last time on their last mission. Her conscious was telling her to spare them, but her heart was telling her otherwise.

Naruto smirked at the maturity Ino was displaying to him. "This is good progress Ino-chan. You are maturing quite nicely and by no time you will wholeheartedly believe that these scum don't deserve a second chance". He raised his hand and shot them with precision electricity stabbing them straight through the heart killing them instantly. Before Naruto lay about six dead bodies.

He created a couple of shadow clones and carried the bodies towards the forest. "You guys go ahead. The least I could do is giving these guys a proper burial. I'm sure Asuma is pretty pissed for being so late". He was confused when he didn't feel them move from place. He turned his head around and witnessed them gazing at him with confidence in their eyes.

Shikamaru smirked and began walking towards one of the shadow clones taking one of the bodies with him. "Well help you out Naruto. It's the least we can do since we were part of this. Right Ino". He turned towards the female of the group and saw her nod in understanding.

"Yeah Naruto-kun don't do everything yourself. You know we are a team so have some faith in us alright". She smiled cheerfully feeling that this moment was a good mark for the team.

Naruto remained calm, but nodded anyways. "Alright let's head into the forest and bury these guys".

_(30 minutes later)_

**(Location Town Hotel)**

The team had finally managed to arrive at the hotel and was a whole hour late. It took longer than expected to bury all the men, but they didn't think it would take that long. That didn't mean much to Naruto however feeling that it was a necessary thing they had to do. Feeling that however didn't mean it was going to make Asuma understand why they had been late.

The bearded Jounin carefully gazed over the team and was confused at seeing how dirty they seemed. The three of them had dirt all over their clothes and in their hands. He knew they had been doing something out of town, but what that was exactly he had no clue. His gaze lingered on the supposed leader of the group and examined his demeanor carefully. He sighed knowing that he wasn't going to get anything useful just by looking at him. "Alright guys can you please explain to me why in the hell you are so fucking late? Another thing why in the hell are you so fucking dirty?

His question was answered by the white haired kid not wanting to prolong this situation any longer. "Asuma-sensei we had to bury several bodies in the woods, simple as that". He witnessed his teammates sweat drop at his bluntness and saw his sensei with a huge question mark above his head. He sighed knowing that it wasn't going to be enough simply telling him. "Alright look while we were out eating we were ambushed by several crooks. Don't worry they weren't anything serious. So we just took care of them". Once again the whole team sweat dropped at his lack of dramatics.

Asuma meanwhile seemed like a deer caught in headlights. He quickly regained his composure and glared intensely at the calm looking boy. "What the hell do you mean took care of. Why in the hell would you kill a bunch of nobody's like that? His anger was boiling at this point not believing what he was hearing. He knew that Naruto was messed up in the head, but to go as far as killing petty criminals for no apparent reason was crossing the line. He marched right up to him and forcefully grabbed him by his collar. His gaze was intently focused on the white haired boy getting even more pissed off seeing his uncaring face.

Ino and Shikamaru saw what was happening and were ready to jump in to help their teammate, but were stopped by Naruto.

The blue eyed boy calmly gazed towards his sensei and calmly answered his question. "The reason I killed them "sensei" is because they were after Ino-chan. Now tell me what would you do if you were in my shoes? Would you simply let them take her and let them do their way with her? His gaze turned deadly serious, "If your answer is yes then please get away from me or I can't guarantee your safety".

Asuma was a bit shocked at his blatant threat, but was otherwise in control. He slowly released his firm grip on the boy and gently put him down. He sighed once again and brought out another cigarette from his pouch. He quickly lit it on fire and breathed in a much needed smoke. He began to walk towards the modest sized hotel, "I see your point Naruto, but please next time don't go acting on your own alright". Once hearing nothing waved his team to follow him.

The whole team entered through the hotels door and were engulfed in the warmth of the hotel. It was a welcome relief in comparison to sleeping outdoors. They saw Asuma head to the counter and retrieve the keys to the hotel rooms. He returned and informed them of the situation, "Listen guys there wasn't enough rooms for the four of us so one of you is going to have to tough it out and sleep on the floor. So who's the brave soul that could endure sleeping on the cold floor? Any volunteers".

Asuma saw Ino and Shikamaru divert their gaze from him meaning they didn't want to sleep on the floor tonight. So that left Naruto who seemed indifferent about the situation. He raised his hand volunteering for the position, "I'll do it sensei". Asuma smiled and nodded at the white haired boy. He pretty much had a guess on who was going to be the unlucky one.

He gazed towards the others and gave them both a key to their respected rooms. "Here guys this is for your rooms now go get settled in while I take care of some business here". He saw Ino linger a bit no knowing what to do since Naruto was going to be all alone. Asuma sighed and waved to Ino to go, "Come one Ino go see your room. If your worried about Naruto then don't be he's fine right Naruto". Once seeing Naruto nod Ino hesitantly walked towards her room leaving them behind. Asuma turned his gaze towards Naruto and witnessed he was absentmindedly gazing at the back of his teammates. He sighed and threw his own key towards the boy, "Here Naruto you can take my room. After all it's up to the sensei to take care of his squad right". His generous offer was turned down immediately.

Naruto quickly threw back the single key to his sensei feeling that it was unnecessary. "Don't worry about me Asuma-sensei I'm used to this kind of sleeping arrangements. After all I've never been able to sleep on a bed in a long time". He finished his sentence and began heading towards the doors feeling intrigued on what his teammates were doing.

Asuma frowned at what Naruto had just said and looked towards the single silver key grasped firmly in his hand. Even though Naruto seemed tough and uncaring there was still pain in his heart for what he has gone through in the past several years. He put the small silver key in his pocket and began heading up the stairs also wanting to find out what his students were up to.

He entered the first room and chuckled when seeing a sleeping Shikamaru snoring up a storm. He didn't even waste time in getting changed out of his dirty clothes. He understood his exhaustion since they had been traveling for quite some time. He closed the door behind him and walked to the other room and saw a similar view with Ino.

However Ino had been conscious enough to have changed into her purple pajamas that she had packed. Unlike Shikamaru Ino didn't make a sound when she was sleeping. He closed the door behind him and walked towards his own room. He was surprised to see Naruto standing there apparently looking out the window. He knocked on his door making his presence known to him. "Hey Naruto have you perhaps reconsidered?

The white haired boy simply nodded his head in disagreement. "No sensei it's nothing like that. I only came to ask for your permission on something".

Asuma adopted a curious face wanting to what the quiet Naruto had in mind. Also it made him a little happy that he would ask him permission for something. He nodded, "Yeah sure Naruto what did you have in mind?

Naruto walked away from the window and stood in front of his sensei. "Actually I wanted your permission on staying outside for the night. Before you disagree just know that I only want to do this because I have done this every night before we were even a team".

Asuma nodded still confused on his question. "Umm can I ask why you want to be outside Naruto".

Naruto remained frozen in place still gazing out the modest sized window in the hotel room. He slowly turned his head and answered the simple question, "You don't have to concern yourself with that Asuma-sensei. Just know that I will not go far".

Asuma sighed and chuckled knowing that Naruto would answer along the lines of that. "Alright Naruto just don't go too far since we have to leave early in the morning to catch our boat".

Naruto nodded and began walking out the door waving goodbye to Asuma.

The bearded Jounin stood in place watching his student leave his room. He sighed and went to his bed and laid down. He mindlessly gazed towards the empty ceiling thinking over the past several days events. So much stuff has happened since they first became a team and yet it seemed like they had progressed so little.

It felt like this team was never meant to be formed from the start. He shook those nasty thoughts from his head and composed himself once more. If things were going to change for the better he needed to try harder. He needed to show Naruto that he was capable of being a sensei. That was the only way he knew to be able to mend together his team. He just hoped it didn't backfire and push him even farther away from them.

_(1 hour later)_

**(Location Unknown)**

A black figure stood in place seemingly uncaring of the cold air around him. His white locks fluttered in the breeze while his red sharingan eyes glowed in the darkness. Naruto knew that eventually he would have to break off from his team. He understood that fact very well and for the most part he was okay with the idea. He didn't hate his teammates at all. In face he actually liked them for what they are…friends. He hasn't had friends in a very long time not since his friends died. He didn't mind being alone most of the time. It gave him a sense of peace when he listened to the breeze. He just needed to hold out until the Chunin Exams and get promoted. Then he would have the freedom that he needed. With that freedom he would be able to seek out his friends killers and also find out more about Akatsuki.

**(Location Naruto's Mind)**

His thoughts were interrupted by an ominous dark chuckle in his mind. The malicious sounding voice manifested into a mixture of purple and black blob seemingly taking a human form. The figure seemed to be smiling for no apparent reason until he finally decided to introduce himself. He roared in laughter and mock bowed**, "Hello there my host it is my pleasure to finally be able to meet you".**

Naruto meanwhile looked around and was a bit confused on the world around him. Long gone was the beautiful starry night. It was now replaced with blood filled skies and constant moans and groans of what he guessed were people screaming in agony. He tried his best to break this illusion with his eyes, but his efforts were fruitless.

He realized that this world was not his own and the figure that stood before him was a part of him. When he tried to stand up he was fiercely pulled downwards by some sort of purple blob that stuck to his skin. He finally managed to pull himself away from the stickiness of the ground and brought his calm looking face towards the mysterious dark figure in front of him.

His sharingan eyes began to spin madly trying to figure out what this creature was. "Who are you? What do you want from me? His cold voice made his simple questions sound even more intense. His eyes widened a bit when witnessing the figure begin to roar in laughter once again. Apparently thinking this whole situation was hilarious to him. That sense of humor didn't reach Naruto of course. He tried to gather some electricity feeling that this wasn't going to end well. His electricity apparently was non-existent in this world since nothing came out of him trying.

The vile looking creature smiled and gazed at Naruto with pure white eyes, "**Silly silly boy. This is my world and I control what you can do and what you can't do understand". **He immediately disappeared from place and reappeared right in front of Naruto making him jump a bit by the sudden change of speed. The shadow looking creature brushed his hand across Naruto cheek making him flinch under its touch. "**Shhh don't be scared child. I'm not here to hurt you. No no no I am only here to warn you my friend". **The figure removed it's hand away from his face and brought it to its chest. "**My boy there is a terrible evil coming very soon and if you don't get stronger everything around you will perish understand". **

Naruto stood there in confusion not sure what to think about this recent information he was receiving. He gathered his thoughts and spoke, "If you mean the Akatsuki then I know already".

The figure immediately began to laugh once again at his naivety, **"Don't be so close minded boy. There is greater evil behind those pesky individuals that think there so great and powerful". **The shadow scoffed, **"Those 'Akatsuki' are only the beginning of what you will be facing in the coming future". ** The figure began to walk towards him once again, **"You remember that dream you had a while back. The dream where you witnessed countless of dead bodies while you were the only one left". **The figure smirked when seeing her host flinch at remembering the dream.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah I remember what does that have to do with anything. After all it was only a dream I had a long time ago right?

The shadow finally reached him and began to gaze into his eyes, **"What you saw was the future child". **

Naruto narrowed his eyes and asked the obvious question, "Who created you?

The shadow laughed, **"Take a wild guess boy". **

Naruto remained as cool as possible already knowing who was responsible. "It was mother wasn't it".

The shadow nodded, **"She knew what was coming before anyone else. After all I was once one of them". **

Naruto gasped at the sudden revelation and quickly followed with another question wanting to find out what he would be dealing with. "What are you? I mean what are they?

The figure sighed and instantly transformed into a girl that seemed to be around 15 years old. **"We are people just like you are, but the difference between your people and mine is power. All of us our powerful and each one of us has a unique ability that differentiates us from one another. My power of course is one of the strongest out there being darkness. If you think I'm powerful just wait until you meet one of the adult's". **The once terrifying creature shivered at the thought of fighting one.

Naruto had stood there frozen not sure what to think about the whole situation. However he couldn't stop the incoming laughter when seeing the once terrifying creature turn out to be nothing, but a cute girl. Naruto continued to laugh at his situation making the small girl puff her cheeks out in frustrations.

"**What the hell do you think you're laughing at boy!? This is very serious. This information could potentially save your fucking pathetic world". **The beatiful girl was beyond pissed, but that was quickly replaced with confusion by his response.

Naruto meanwhile was still laughing, but managed to control himself enough to talk. "I-I'm sorry it's just who would've known that the darkness in my mind was a cute girl all along". The next minute Naruto felt a sudden blast hit him straight in the stomach rendering him breathless.

The small girl was blushing up a storm at being called cute by the boy that she had known his whole life. "**N-never call me cute alright". **

Naruto was still gasping for air from being hit so hard. "G-geez you can really hit can't you". He managed to regain his composure and stood up while rubbing his stomach. "Alright then what may I call you".

The small girl turned around not wanting for him to see her in that condition. **"y-you could call me Keiko if you want". **

Naruto smiled, "Alright, Keiko-chan it is".

The beautiful girl hid her blush and began to walk away, **"Alright you can leave now. There is nothing more left to tell you. For now focus on improving yourself and getting stronger. Also don't get hanged up on this. It is still quite a ways away for them to make a move." **As she was about to disappear into the darkness she stopped and added, **"Don't be afraid to ask me for some assistance after all I am trapped here". **

Naruto frowned at her tone of voice and for a brief moment thought that it was him that was talking. "Don't worry Keiko-chan I won't leave you all alone in this place. I'll make sure to talk to you however much you want. After all we are the same right".

The purpled haired girl smiled and disappeared into the world immediately sending Naruto back to his own world. He awakened on top of the roof and was surprised that it was already morning. He felt a tingling sensation in his mind followed by a voice. _**'You better hurry Naruto-kun your teammates are looking for you'.**_

Naruto nodded and mentally thanked her, _'Umm are you always going to be there now? _

The shadow nodded, _**'Only when I deem it necessary. So you don't have to worry about me intruding in private affairs'**_**. **

Naruto nodded and jumped off the building roof landing right next to his still sleepy teammates.

Ino and Shikamaru both shouted in unison not believing their eyes, "Where the hell did you come from Naruto-kun/Naruto?!

Naruto merely shrugged off their surprise, "Don't worry about".

Asuma meanwhile was watching the whole thing. He of course knew that Naruto had been here all night. He sighed and signaled for his team to follow, "Alright guys let's go. I'm sure Team 7 is eagerly awaiting our arrival".

This of course earned him a couple of nods meaning they were all ready to move on.

_**A/N: And scene. Well that was pretty wild there at the end huh. Bet you didn't see that coming. Now what I'm going to say is that I will still follow some of the canon stuff so you don't have to worry about anything changing for a while. The mysterious girl that I introduced is extremely powerful more so than Naruto is right now. So that shows you that the next villains will be extremely powerful. However that is still a ways away before they make their appearance. Also if you're wondering if Naruto is going to be able to control darkness then you are correct. However he will not be able to use it for some time. If you have any other questions please ask me in the form of a P:M or REVIEW. This story is just beginning my friends so until next time Black Crow out!**_


	20. The Land of Waves Part 1

**A/N: Welcome my fellow readers today I bring you yet another chapter of my wonderful creation. Now I know this is early for me, but I decided I just wanted to start this arc as soon as possible. So please enjoy this hefty chapter and REVIEW! **

_(The next morning)_

**(Location near docks)**

The whole team waited for their sensei to return with the boat captain so that they could finally begin their mission. The team was a bit anxious at the moment to finally get to be able to meet their friends after such a long time. It had been several weeks that they have been able to see them since they were always busy with missions and whatnot. The blond of the group was especially excited to see Sasuke.

While the lazy Nara was looking forwards to meet up with his best friend Choji and see what he was up to. Naruto on the other hand had no such thing to look forward too. Well that wasn't totally accurate since he was a bit curious on Team 7's development so far. His curiosity was mainly for the Uchiha of the group. He wanted to see for himself if he had gotten much stronger. He realized that Sasuke carried a lot of potential, but how much potential. That was yet to be known.

Naruto's bright blue eyes removed themselves from the ocean waves feeling his sensei approaching with another close behind him. Once realizing that it was the ship's captain he removed his eyes from them and returned them towards the oceans glimmering horizon. The morning sun gleamed against the oceans water very beautifully. It made him smile that he was lucky enough to be able to witness such a magical thing. _**'It's such a beautiful sight isn't Naruto-kun'**_**. **

A soft gentle voice whispered in his subconscious. Naruto nodded that he agreed with her knowing as well how beautiful it was. _'Yeah it is Keiko-chan, was it like this on your world_? His simple question was answered with a tired sigh. _**'It was Naruto-kun. Every day I would travel just to get a glimpse of this. Now my world is nothing, but shambles. That is the reason that I traveled here. To find something beautiful to look at again'.**_ Naruto continued to gaze at the rising sun, _'Don't worry about that Keiko-chan. I will find some way to restore your world back to normal'_.

He noticed the odd stares coming from his teammates probably wondering why he was just standing there like a statue. He ignored them and brought his gaze to his bearded sensei that had finally arrived.

Asuma waved his rugged hand signaling the team to follow him onto the ship. "Come on guys hop aboard. It's finally time to say your goodbye's to this place". His gaze morphed into one of seriousness, "It's time to officially begin our mission you guys. From here on out our mission will be considered an A-rank. So be sure to be on your guard and be extremely cautious. You never know what might happen when this is all over". His serious tone of voice resonated with his students making them realize how serious this whole situation was.

Once that was done Asuma returned to his living quarters and instructed the team to do whatever they wanted. Ino and Shikamaru followed their sensei's example and returned to their small living quarters as well. Apparently they were still a bit tired from their long trip. Naruto meanwhile decided to stay on deck not feeling tired in the slightest. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful for the most part apart from the occasional fights among the ship's crew mates.

The voyage didn't last long since they were pretty close to the Land of Waves already. The ship's crew waved them goodbye and departed leaving them idle on the town docks. Asuma waved for his team to follow him, "Let's hurry you guys. We are pretty late as it is". Asuma brought out a piece of paper and carefully examined it. "Now the report mentioned a house that we would meet at so let's start there". The team nodded and began to walk forward.

Several minutes had gone by since they had arrived and immediately they realized that things on this town were not in the best of conditions. Things seemed grim when seeing beggars frequently asking them anything they could offer. It was really heartbreaking when witnessing how different this town was compared to the wealthy Konoha. The people that resided here seemed desperate and defeated. It's as if saying that any hope they once had, was now ripped away from them. However it wasn't all that bad since they would occasionally see some people smiling and happy. There weren't enough of those people that would consider this town happy.

They continued walking through the miserable looking people until they finally reached the back end of the town. The house in front of them was huge compared to the other building they had seen in town. It was understandable since the people living here had hired Team 7 in the first place. So they had to have some kind of wealth to be able to do that.

Asuma walked up to the wooden door and gently began to knock. After several silent moments passed they were finally greeted with a beautiful woman that seemed to be in her late twenties. The kind looking lady warmly smiled and greeted them all. "Hello there you must be Asuma-san. Kakashi-san mentioned you would be arriving in the next couple of days. My name is Tsunami a pleasure to finally meet you Asuma-san". She kindly offered her small hand towards the bearded man which he readily accepted.

Asuma smiled and retracted his hand from her warm embrace. "The pleasure is all mine Tsunami-chan. Let me introduce you to my team". He waved his hand across his students and signaled for them to introduce themselves to her.

The first one that had volunteered was of course the blond of the team. Ino happily trotted towards the kind woman and offered her hand, "Hello there Tsunami-chan my name is Ino Yamanaka. It is my pleasure to meet such a pretty lady". She beamed a cheery smile making the woman smile even more.

The next one that had volunteered was the ever lazy Nara. He as well decided to offer his hand in the form of respect. "Hell there Tsunami-san my name is Shikamaru Nara. It is also a pleasure to meet you and thank you for allowing us into your home". Tsunami nodded and shook his hand.

The next one in the group made the woman curious by his appearance. She had never seen such a young boy with bright full white hair before. Not even her father who was quiet old by now had white hair. Also she felt this sort of superior aura around the boy that felt almost oppressing when being near him. Just by his appearance and how different he seemed compared to the others she realized that something must have happened in the past. He reminded her of her son Inari who had become quiet and withdrawn ever since his father Kaiza had died. She shook those depressing thoughts out of her mind and smiled towards the stoic boy.

Naruto wasn't the only one to notice her stranger behavior. _**'This woman carries a lot of pain and suffering inside her heart Naruto-kun'. **_Naruto nodded having a feeling that it was the case. _'Don't we all Keiko-chan". _He walked towards the seemingly kind woman and gave her a short bow. "Hello there Tsunami-san my name is Uzumaki Naruto, a pleasure to make your acquaintance". He stood up from his brief bow and returned to his place among the team. He saw the team nod in approval apparently expecting something else.

Tsunami smiled towards the boy and voiced her thoughts, "Your parents must be very proud to have raised such a respectable child". The air around them quickly became quiet making her simple response feel wrong.

Naruto remained as calm as ever quickly answering her previous statement. "Thank you for the compliment Tsunami-san, but I don't know how my parents would feel about my current behavior. Since they have long since passed away I'm afraid".

Tsunami visibly gasped when realizing she had just said something awful to the boy. She quickly tried to redeem herself, "I'm so sorry Naruto-san I didn't realize. Please forgive me for reminding you of something so painful". She bowed towards the boy feeling awful about the whole situation.

Naruto gazed at her behavior, "You don't have to concern yourself about offending me Tsunami-san, and after all we all have things that we want to forget".

The kind woman widened her eyes at the subtle acknowledgment that he somehow knew something was hidden away in her heart. "Y-yeah I suppose that's true Naruto-san". She quickly regained her gentle smile even though Naruto could see that it was a strained one at best. Nevertheless she waved for them to enter her modest sized household.

They were all blasted by the delicious smell of breakfast. "Come on inside I was just preparing breakfast for everyone when they returned. They'll be happy to hear that you have arrived". She pointed towards the empty couches in the living room, "Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable while I'll go tell Kakashi-san that you have arrived". Before she began to head upstairs where they assumed Kakashi was Asuma stopped her and asked her a question.

"Tsunami-chan before you go may I ask you where the rest of Team 7 are". The bearded Jounin asked wanting to know where they were if they weren't at the house at the moment.

The beautiful woman stopped in her tracks and nudged her head, "Well let's see now I believe I sent Sakura-chan to go get me some supplies for dinner later tonight". She took a thinking pose trying to figure out what the others were doing. She snapped her fingers when remembering, "Oh that right Choji-kun and Sasuke-kun told me a couple of hours ago that they would be training close by for next time". She bitterly smiled when remembering the state they were in when they had arrived.

The whole team looked like they had been through a shredder by the abundant amounts of scrapes and bruises they all had. Kakashi looked the worst of the whole bunch apparently the team told her he had somehow overused his sharingan in battle. Of course she had no idea what they meant by that, but his injuries were severe enough to realize how serious it was. So for the past several days they had been resting and the sharingan user seemed to be improving health wise. So in her book everything was returning back to normal at least for the moment.

Naruto keenly caught her subtle indication that she wasn't telling them everything she saw. He decided to let it go for now knowing that he would eventually find out somehow. He saw his bearded sensei smile and nod towards the attractive looking woman.

Asuma smiled and nodded, "Thanks for the information Tsunami-chan. Umm do you mind if I join you to go check up on Kakashi".

Tsunami thought for a moment about it and finally nodded, "Alright Asuma-san you can join me. However I don't want you disturbing Kakashi-san if he is still sleeping alright". She gave Asuma a sickly sweet smile making him chuckle thinking she reminded him of someone he knew pretty well.

Asuma waved her concerns, "Don't worry about that Tsunami-chan I won't do something to disturb his sleep I promise". He smiled as honestly as he could manage trying to sell her on his little lie.

Tsunami gave the bearded Jounin a very suspicious glare feeling something was off. She put those suspicious thoughts behind her and waved for the man to follow her upstairs.

Asuma smiled at her naivety and turned back towards the team, "Alright you guys I'm going to check on Kakashi to see how grave the situation is. You guys go do whatever you want while I check up on him". He waved them goodbye and continued up the winding stairs not failing to notice Tsunami's fine posterior. This earned him a swift kick to the gut from Tsunami who was blushing at his perverseness.

The beautiful woman scoffed and glared at the breathless man, "Keep your beady eyes off my behind Asuma-san". Her expression immediately changed and turned into one of danger. "I won't be held responsible if something happens to your food if you continue your shady looks alright".

Asuma having recovered from the hit nervously chuckled, "Alright I get it I'll stop now sorry". He grumbled his frustrations, "Sheesh I would think someone as beautiful as her would feel happy that a man is still sexually interested in her".

Tsunami of course didn't fail to overhear his brief whisper, but decided to pretend like she didn't. "Did you perhaps say something inappropriate that I didn't hear Asuma-san?

The wind user waved his hands furiously denying her accusations, "N-no of course not Tsunami-chan. It must've been the wind making those sounds right guys". He turned his head towards his students in desperation. His eyes pleaded with them to back him up, but all it earned him was glares of disgust.

Ino scoffed at his pathetic desperation, "Don't even think for a second to involve us in your petty perverseness Asuma-sensei". She crossed her arms around her chest and scoffed, "It's not our fault that you can't control your desires Ero-sensei". Surprisingly Naruto chuckled at her blatant jab at her sensei making her smile at finally making him laugh. Even if it was only for a little while.

Asuma hanged his head and continued up the stairs in utter defeat while Tsunami was busy laughing at his student's matureness.

Finally seeing both adults go the blond of the group turned towards her teammates and gave a suggestion. "I don't know about you guys, but I want to go see what Sasuke-kun is up to. Maybe we could learn a bit about what happened to them that they would assign a mission to us to go help them. So if you guys want to come with me let's go". She smiled when seeing them both nod and stand up. The three of them quickly exited through the door making the house once again empty.

Meanwhile with Asuma, the bearded man was currently alone with Kakashi since he had asked Tsunami for some privacy concerning this. Of course she immediately understood knowing a bit of the circumstances when overhearing them a while back. The Jounin was currently leaning his back against the wall as he gazed towards the open window. "So care to explain to me why one of the most powerful Jounin's in the Land of Fire is in bed right now". His serious tone echoed throughout the silent room making it sound even louder than what it really was.

The man known as Kakashi Hatake the son of the revered White Fang and the man that is said to have copied over a thousand Jutsu was currently resting in the modest sized bed gazing at the empty ceiling with his single eye. He sighed at the predicament he was currently in and brought his single eye towards the rarely serious Asuma who he assumed wanted to know all the details. "Mah don't get so serious about this Asuma. I just over exerted myself and here I am now". His single eye closed and morphed into a u shape making it seem like he was smiling.

Asuma scoffed at his lack of seriousness on the matter, "Cut the crap Kakashi we all know something serious happened for you to call us over here. Just tell me exactly what occurred and this will go a lot smoother". His serious demeanor remained on Kakashi's own making the elite Jounin sigh in frustration.

The white haired Jounin sighed and gazed at the bearded Jounin. "Geez Asuma can you perhaps not sound so blunt about this. It really gives me a headache". He grunted in pain while trying to sit up. He eventually succeeded making the small white blanket fall of from his torso. He looked at his bandaged hands and clenched them tightly feeling frustrated that he almost got his team killed for taking it to easy.

"When we were assigned this mission I suspected from the very beginning that something was off about it. I couldn't pin point what that was exactly, but still I kept my guard up in case anything happened. When we headed to the Land of Waves we ran into B-rank missing-nin or better known as the Demon Brothers of the Mist.

I quickly understood that we were dealing with something well beyond a measly C-rank mission". He stopped explaining for a brief moment making the room once again deadly silent. The ticking from the clock stationed above the bed echoed throughout making it seem even tenser than before. The sharingan user clenched his fist tightly once again and whispered, "We ran into Zabuza Momochi Asuma".

Asuma's eyes widened when hearing that name pop into the conversation. The air in the room became thicker as the silence was becoming increasingly over bearing. Finally the bearded Jounin decided to respond. "A-are you sure about that Kakashi". He unconsciously gulped when finding out that they were dealing with someone well beyond the kid's level. "What in the world is the Demon of the Hidden Mist doing here anyways?

Kakashi brought his head upwards and gazed intently at the bearded man, "All I know is that Gato is somehow involved in all of this and I think he is trying to somehow take control of the Land of Waves".

Asuma sighed when hearing that name knowing that whenever he was involved things could never be good. "So how in the world did Zabuza escape you Kakashi?

The white haired Jounin hanged his head in shame, "When I thought I had finally killed him with one of his own Jutsus a strange individual dressed in a Hunter-nin's outfit appeared and proclaimed that he was sent there to kill him and return his body. Now instead of simply destroying the body like most Hunter-nin's do he took the body and disappeared.

At first I was skeptical that the masked ninja was really a Hunter-nin and it would only be later that my assumption was correct. He was not a Hunter-nin and get this, he was his partner all along". The air around the room became even harder to breath by the copy ninja's mounting anger at being tricked from the very beginning.

After several minutes of silence the masked ninja finally relaxed and sighed, "I'm afraid that both of them will show up any day and will aim to kill Tazuna the bridge builder once and for all. I believe they know our strengths and weaknesses and I'm afraid my team is not yet able to handle the guy in the mask". He showed an eye smile towards the fellow Jounin who was intently listening to the story, "At least that won't be a problem now that you guy's our here as our back up".

Asuma negatively nodded with his bold assumption. "Don't assume my team is any better than yours your Kakashi. We have barely had any experience with dealing in actual life and death situations". He diverted his gaze away from the ever keen former Anbu Captain.

Kakashi of course saw his minute twitch and decided to ask him the obvious question. "What about that boy Naruto Uzumaki that was assigned to your squad Asuma. Last time I heard he was the best in his class. Is it true that he is that talented? Kakashi had to admit that he was a bit curious if all the stories surrounding that boy had any truth behind them.

Even though he had known him since he was a small child and was there when he had awakened his blood line limit he didn't know if that had developed into something great. He was also informed that he had trained with Itachi Uchiha for a whole two years. That gave him cause to be curious when your trained by one the one considered a genius in the Uchiha clan.

Asuma sighed knowing that he would eventually be asked this exact question. He began to head towards the open window and gazed at the clear blue skies. "Kakashi, Naruto Uzumaki is by far one of the strongest genin that I have ever witnessed". His visage turned intense once again when remembering their previous mission and seeing first-hand what he was capable of. "Before we were assigned with this mission we had actually just finished with one of our own mission.

We were assigned to investigate a town that had apparently gone silent for several days now. When we arrived we discovered bodies upon bodies strewn all over the empty road. Dead bodies overflowed throughout the road and the houses were demolished beyond repair". He sighed and continued, "When we had gathered all the information we could I decided it was time to return to the village with our findings. However we didn't have a choice to leave since an A-rank missing-nin named Ryo form Kumogakure appeared and challenged us".

Asuma clenched his fists in frustration when remembering that single day. "It was Naruto who singlehandedly took care of the missing-nin like he was nothing. He destroyed him immediately and killed him without any remorse at all".

Kakashi was wide eyed when hearing this story not believing that Naruto a genin could have achieved that feat alone. "Are you telling me the truth Asuma? Is he truly that powerful?

Asuma nodded and sighed, "I wish it wasn't Kakashi, but I'm afraid all I'm telling you is the truth, but there's more to the story". He looked around suspiciously and surround the room in a sound suppressing jutsu not wanting anyone to hear what he was about to reveal. He turned his gaze towards the confused copy-nin and spoke. "What I'm about to reveal must remain a secret no matter what alright. You mustn't speak about this to any one not matter what or the Hokage's wrath will fall on you". He removed his gaze away from him and began to walk towards the window once again. "This might sound crazy to you, but somehow someway Naruto has the sharingan Kakashi".

The whole room remained quiet after the revelation was revealed. Kakashi was stumped not knowing what to think about the information he had just received. His only question was how in the world did Naruto have them? And how did he miss them? His visage turned deadly serious, "Are you certain about this Asuma".

Asuma saw the serious look on his friends face and understood what he was feeling right now. "I'm afraid it's the truth Kakashi".

The sharingan user sighed and returned to his aloof self, "Did he somehow steal them from an Uchiha? I can't picture how that is possible since there is none left right".

Asuma negatively nodded with his friend's assumption. "No Kakashi, Naruto's sharingan is the real thing, genuine. Don't ask me how he got them, but just know that he does possess them and he is extremely good with them. Hell I'm willing to bet that he might be even better than you Kakashi from the way he has used them".

Kakashi was flabbergasted by this sudden information. He believed that Sasuke, Itachi and himself were the only ones that had possession of the dying sharingan. Now he was hearing that Naruto had them as well and his were genuine unlike his own was a bit too much to digest.

After several moments of silence Kakashi finally accepted what he had just been told as the truth. He accepted that there was now someone else besides him that had the sharingan. He never in his wildest dreams expected for the Uzumaki that he had taken to the hospital that night to have awakened the sharingan somehow. That was another question that plagued his mind. How in the world did he come to awaken them? He gazed at the equally silent Asuma and asked, "Hey Asuma do you perhaps know when Naruto awakened them".

Asuma negatively nodded once again, "I'm afraid I don't Kakashi. When we first became a team and I gave them the test regarding teamwork. Naruto immediately began to attack me and began to show all these different kind of moves. That was when I saw that he had the sharingan activated and it made sense that he was able to keep up with me.

I came to find out that he has several others powers when I saw that he could control ice so easily and of course I saw his expertise with electricity". He sighed when realizing how powerful Naruto sounded even though he was still just a boy and a genin to boot. He massaged his throbbing temples when realizing that he would need to keep in control of the boy or who knows what might happen.

Kakashi smiled when hearing all the powerful talents that the boy possessed. "Isn't that a good thing Asuma? You have a very talented genin on your squad that has limitless possibilities right". The smiling Jounin quickly caught the silence in the air and was confused by Asuma's lack of reaction.

Asuma's face turned serious once again, "I don't think it's a good thing Kakashi. I'm afraid Naruto is too powerful for his own good. He does not regard himself a part of the team whatsoever and would pretty much abandon them if he needed to. He has no respect for authority when he blatantly disobeyed my order on the past mission and just did whatever he wanted".

He sighed in frustration, "I don't think he would listen to us if he was dead set on something already". The bearded Jounin smiled a bit breaking the dread full atmosphere in the small room. "Though I have seen an improvement regarding his behavior around the team. So while I believe that he has improved he still has a long way to go".

Kakashi nodded and even though he was doubtful Naruto would change from the way Asuma was describing him he still held to the hope that he did. He slowly removed the bed cover from his body and stood up feeling a bit sore, but otherwise functional. He stretched his bones a bit and waved for Asuma to follow him, "Come on Asuma let's go check up on our students. I want to train them at least until it is time to face Zabuza again. So this time they shouldn't be caught off guard and have some sort of training under their belt".

Asuma nodded and followed, "What did you have in mind Kakashi".

Kakashi gave Asuma his unique eye smile, "It's nothing complicated I assure you. I'm simply going to teach them how to control their chakra better by climbing up trees and such. Nothing major right".

Asuma sweat dropped at the training, "Are you sure this will be enough for them to handle Zabuza and the mysterious masked person".

Kakashi continued to eye smile at his friend, "Of course not. Though by doing this training it will give them at least a fighting chance against the masked ninja. I will personally take care of Zabuza and you will be providing back up alright".

Asuma nodded in approval feeling that with everyone fighting together they will most definitely win. "Alright Kakashi let's go and get started. I'm sure they are eager to learn something new for a change".

The masked Jounin smiled and nodded, "By the way Asuma can you tell me if your team knows about Naruto's little secret".

Asuma sighed and nodded, "Yeah they know Kakashi. I was surprised that they didn't care all that much about it. Well apart from Ino who thought it was cool that he had the same thing that Sasuke is supposed to unlock". The bearded man took a thinking pose and looked at the masked Jounin, "By the way Kakashi has Sasuke unlocked his sharingan yet?

Kakashi positively nodded, "Yeah he has. It was while we were coming here for our mission. It activated when he saw his teammates in terrible danger even though they weren't really since I was there the whole time. Nevertheless he managed to unlock them under that pressure and has done well with them. That kid has a lot of potential Asuma".

Asuma nodded and went out the door following the masked Jounin.

Meanwhile Naruto and team were quietly following the small trail that Tsunami had told them would lead to the training ground. It took several minutes to finally reach the end and was presented by the whole team 7 gathered around and eating what appeared to be some sandwiches.

Ino immediately squealed and bolted from place heading straight towards Sasuke. That however didn't happen since the pink haired Kunochi immediately jumped in front of the startled Uchiha protecting him from the blond Kunochi. "Don't even think about it Ino-pig. We are eating comfortably so don't interrupt up us alright". The pink haired girl named Sakura proclaimed to the blond making her grumble in frustration.

The blond hared girl put both hands on her hips and glared at her once best friend. "Oh yeah who made you the leader forehead girl? Last time I saw you I thought Sasuke was the team leader". She gave the confused looking Sasuke her sweetest smile, "Isn't that right Sasuke-kun".

She was interrupted by the sound of a frustrated Sakura who didn't like how she was looking at him. "Of course he is the leader Ino-pig. I just was trying to protect him from your idiotic ways". She stuck her tongue out making Shikamaru sigh at the scene before him.

Shikamaru began to walk forward with both hands inside his pockets, "Come on girl's can't we try to get along for once. I mean we are supposed to be helping them Ino. Or did you forget our mission already".

Ino began to blush when she caught a glimpse of Naruto gazing at her apparently waiting for her answer. "O-of course I didn't Shikamaru. Sheesh I was just playing around with them. I mean it has been sometime since I've seen them. Don't get me wrong I enjoy my time with our team, but sometimes I wish I was with a different team you know".

She quickly brought her hands to her hands regretting what she just said in front of Naruto. "I-I mean don't you guys feel the same way? Isn't it better when we are all together? The air around them became deathly quiet until Sakura not knowing why it had become so quiet broke the silence.

"Well I don't care what you think Ino-pig just leave Sasuke-kun alone. He has been training hard ever since we lost with Zabuza and that weird masked guy". Sasuke immediately shot her a glare apparently not wanting for her to give out that specific information.

It was Naruto who broke the silence when hearing Zabuza's name brought up in the conversation. "So it was Zabuza Momochi A-rank missing-nin from Kirigakure. One of the Seven Ninja of the Mist. That managed to defeat Kakashi Hatake and escape".

Choji who was looking a bit healthier than before spoke up for the team. "How do you know so much about them Naruto?

All the eyes were pointed directly at the white haired boy who merely shrugged. "It doesn't matter how I know". He turned his head away from the chubby Choji and brought it towards the raven haired boy who seemed equally intrigued by him.

The white haired boy nudged his head towards the raven haired boy gaining his attention. "You there Uchiha care to explain to me why you allowed the enemy to escape you".

The raven haired Uchiha scoffed at his question, "We had no choice they were too powerful". He confidently smiled, "Of course I wouldn't expect you to know anything about facing a tough opponent".

Naruto smirked at his behavior, "Yeah your right Sasuke I wouldn't know anything about that. After all you are definitely the strongest one between us".

Ino quickly turned her head in confusion, "What do you mean Naruto-kun. Not even a few days have passed since you singlehandedly defeated an A-rank missing-nin like he was nothing". She was about to mention the night when they were in town, but was unable to when she felt Shikamaru nudge her not to. She gave him a confused look, but quickly understood and backed off from saying anymore.

Naruto turned around and began to walk away, "Ino, Shikamaru I'm heading back to Tsunami's home asking Kakashi personally on all the details. I'll come back alright". The team nodded feeling that Naruto had made it pretty clear that he didn't want them to follow him. Even though the team understood his subtle signal a certain Uchiha didn't quite understand.

The raven haired boy was quite interested at the certain information he had just overheard from Ino. He didn't want to let this moment escape wanting to find out more about the mysterious white haired boy. The Uchiha stood up and dusted himself off quickly disappearing right in front of the white haired boy who seemed unaffected by his sudden appearance.

Sasuke smirked and quickly threw a punch heading straight for Naruto's unguarded face. That punch never landed since Naruto had immediately countered and threw him over his shoulder. Sasuke recovered and landed perfectly safe on the other side of the training ground.

Both teams quickly moved away from them knowing what might happen between them. They felt it would be safer if they didn't get involved at all. Sakura didn't know what to think at the moment. She was afraid by what might happen to him considering they had just survived a major battle a couple days ago.

Now here he was once again fighting a supposed comrade and for the first time she didn't know if he could win. She knew that Naruto was strong, but how strong she wasn't that sure. Of course she could be wrong and this white haired Naruto could be just talk and nothing to back it up. She wasn't too sure however and leaned her judgment on her gut telling her that this Naruto person was way beyond Sasuke's league.

Sakura cupped her small hands around her mouth and yelled as loud as she could. "What are you doing Sasuke-kun you don't know what you're getting yourself into. This isn't some game come on let's go and train some more". She was thoroughly ignored by the still smirking Sasuke who didn't seem to care at all. The pink haired Kunochi turned her head and pleaded with Choji to make him understand.

The strong looking Akimichi nodded and yelled after his teammate knowing as well that this could potentially blow up in his face. "Come on Sasuke listen to Sakura-chan. You don't know anything about him". He yelled after him, but once again he was totally ignored just like Sakura was. He sighed and turned to the scared looking Sakura who didn't know what to do. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan I don't think there's anything that will deter him from this".

Sakura nodded, but didn't want to accept defeat just yet. She turned to her once best friend and desperately pleaded with her. "Tell your boyfriend to stop this Ino-pig. Who knows how this might end. Aren't you worried for his safety at all? She yelled trying to scare the young blue eyed Kunochi.

Ino blushed at being called her girlfriend, but recovered and shook her head. "I can't do anything about this Sakura. If you're asking if I'm worried for Naruto's sake you'd be completely mistaken. I'm actually worried for Sasuke's safety. Who knows what Naruto might do with him". She knew that Naruto was unpredictable so she wasn't sure what might become of this.

The lazy Nara intensely gazed at the field in front of him, "Yeah Sakura who knows what might happen. Just get it through your head that Sasuke has no chance of winning in this. Naruto is in a league of his own way beyond whatever you think he is capable off". He sighed and laid down on the soft patch of grass and yawned, "The only thing you have to worry about is how much of a thrashing Sasuke will receive".

Sakura gasped and immediately snapped her head back to the field where Sasuke and Naruto were glaring at each other. Her head was running with a ton of simulation on how the match would end and her mind couldn't think of one where Sasuke would come out victorious. If what Ino and Shikamaru had just told her was true then Sasuke was in for a rude awakening. Sakura once again pleaded with her crush, "Come on Sasuke-kun let's just wait for Kaka-sensei to come and we'll train some more ok".

Her pleading was ignored, but Sasuke did respond back with his own proclamation. "Don't worry so much Sakura, Choji, you both know what happened during our battle with Zabuza right". Seeing them both gasp at having forgot about that smirked that they remembered. He turned his charcoal eyes back towards the stoic white haired boy and readied himself. "Prepare yourself Naruto I'm coming for you". As soon as his words left his mouth he quickly disappeared and reappeared in front of an uncaring Naruto.

He quickly threw a fierce kick which didn't come close to hitting him. He grumbled at failing to hit him, but didn't let that stop him. He continued his endless barrage of kicks and punches which continued to fail to land. He finally stopped his attack and backflipped out of there. He did quick hand seals and breathed in and shouted, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu! A huge fireball erupted from his mouth quickly destroying the field in front of him heading straight towards Naruto who seemed unafraid by this event.

Naruto sighed and focused his chakra on his eyes quickly making them morph into his blue sharingan. He focused his ice release on his palm making it appear frozen. He brought his frozen hand towards the huge fireball and calmly stated. "Ice Style: Freezing Touch", the huge fireball immediately turned into a thousand pieces of frozen shards that fell harmlessly to the dirt floor. He quickly deactivated his blue sharingan before any of them could manage to get a glimpse of it.

Sasuke was shocked by what he just witnessed. He just saw his huge fireball turn into ice. He quickly recovered his composure already knowing that it wouldn't work on him anyways. "Not bad Naruto I didn't know that you could create ice. That's something new isn't it". He smirked and focused his chakra towards his eyes finally revealing to everyone his newly unlocked bloodline limit. His sharingan had only one tomoe on each eye signifying that it was still beginning to develop. He readied himself once again and alerted the white haired boy, "Get ready Naruto I'm coming and this time you won't be able to beat me with my sharingan".

The blue eyed genin simply remained in place surprised that Sasuke had unlocked his sharingan. He was even more surprised by his sudden change in speed powered by the sharingan of course. He instinctively moved aside accurately predicting where his punch would land. He moved aside once again dodging his kick and immediately back flipped out of the way.

Sasuke was breathing a bit heavy from all the movements he had done. He was a bit ticked off at the failure to land even a single hit on him even though he was using his sharingan to the max. "Tch, why don't you fight me seriously Naruto". He smirked, "Or are you too afraid to even try realizing how pathetic you really are". He mocked trying to get him to take him seriously and gauge how he compared to him.

Naruto chuckled at his words knowing that he was trying to rile him up, "Sasuke sasuke do you realize how outclassed you really are". He began to gather electricity around his body making it seem like he was a living conductor. "You think that sharingan of yours will give you a better chance against me". He laughed, "Don't be so naïve…after all you're not the only one with the sharingan". His eyes quickly transformed into a fully mature sharingan making them gasp in shock.

Naruto immediately bolted from place and appeared right beside a still shocked Sasuke and swiftly delivered a heavy kick right across his face. The kick was so fierce that it sent him flying a good amount finally stopping when crashing against a thick tree.

Sasuke coughed out a bit of blood and groaned in pain feeling like his face was on fire. He managed to stand up and despite the odds against him readied himself for battle. He quickly sprinted towards Naruto and sent out a combination of punches and kicks hoping to land at least a few. He was sorely disappointed when his punches were expertly avoided.

Naruto appeared right in front of his face giving the startled Sasuke a good view of his mature sharingan. "This will teach you too never underestimate an opponent Sasuke. Or it will lead to your early demise". Naruto quickly threw an electric infused punch straight at his torso sending him flying once again. While he was in midair the white haired boy appeared on top of him and harshly slammed him into the earth making a small crater from the impact.

Sasuke remained inside the decent sized crater until he finally managed to get out. He struggled to get himself to his feet as he glared at the white haired boy that seemed to mock him. Sasuke's sharingan quickly gained another set of tomoe's making his sharingan a second level one. Without even knowing that he had advanced a level he was about to attack Naruto, but was interrupted by the appearance of their sensei's.

Both Kakashi and Asuma arrived at the scene of a thoroughly beat up Sasuke while Naruto was merely standing there without a scratch. The single eyed Jounin brought his bored looking face to the one without a scratch on him and witnessed first-hand his sharingan. Aided with a crutch the sharingan user began to walk towards the still unmoving genin. He finally reached him and carefully gazed at his sharingan and confirmed that they were indeed genuine sharingan and was fully mature to boot. His keen eyes caught a glimpse of a blue substance that was receding to the very bottom of his eye. He decided to leave it alone for now and smiled, "Well Naruto I didn't know you had the sharingan. Care to tell me when you got them". His question was immediately brushed aside by an uncaring Naruto.

"I don't think you need to know Kakashi-san". He quickly deactivated them and calmed himself, "Just worry about yourself and your students". He quickly began to walk towards his sensei who was looking disappointed in him.

The masked Jounin continued smiling and turned his head towards the worn out Sasuke who was still glaring at the white haired boy knowing he was defeated without him even trying. Kakashi walked towards Sasuke and carefully examined him, '_Hmm just as I thought these two just had a battle and Sasuke lost'. _"So Sasuke care to explain to me what happened between you two".

His question once again was unanswered. He sighed and waved for the team to gather around him, "Alright guys as you know or don't we are facing someone extremely dangerous in a couple of days. So in order to prepare you guys me and Asuma have decided to train you for a few days in chakra control". Kakashi saw Sakura raise her hand apparently wondering what the purpose of chakra control was.

"Kaka-sensei what's the point of better controlling our chakra? Don't we know already? The pink haired girl questioned not knowing the point to the whole exercise.

Kakashi smiled at her curiousness, "Good question Sakura. Now the purpose of this exercise is for you to perfect your chakra control so you won't waste any more chakra than what you really need for the Jutsu. Thus saving you chakra to be able to create more Jutsu understand". Seeing them nod their head that they understood the concept about it he threw several kunai in front of their feet startling them a bit.

"Now grab one and go to a tree and begin climbing it". The group seemed confused at his request.

The blond of Team 10 asked what everyone was thinking, "What do you mean climb? Can't we do that already Kaka-sensei".

Kakashi eye smiled and waved for Naruto to come near him and demonstrate. "Go on and show them Naruto. You do know how to climb a tree with chakra right".

Naruto nodded and walked towards the tree and calmly began to climb it like it was an everyday thing.

The group gasped at seeing something like that for the first time and immediately understood what Kakashi meant.

Kakashi nodded in approval at Naruto, "Great job Naruto may I ask who taught you to climb up trees using nothing, but your chakra".

Naruto quickly jumped out of the tree and expertly landed on the soft patch of grass. "Why do you ask such an idiotic question Kakashi if you already know the answer to it".

Kakashi strained a smile feeling like Naruto was a bit too much, "I guess your right Naruto sorry for asking".

Sasuke who had recovered from that harsh lesson narrowed his eyes wanting to know who trained him. He assumed it had to be someone strong since Naruto was way ahead of everyone else in terms of skill. He grinded his teeth in frustration at finding out that Naruto had the sharingan. He wanted to know how he got them and how he was so good with them. I mean he wasn't an Uchiha right? All these questions swirled through his mind making him even more frustrated than he was before.

Kakashi turned his gaze towards his student's and brought a single Kunai to show them. "Alright you guys before you begin this exercise please note that these Kunai are for you to mark your progress to see if you are improving alright". The team gathered their respective kunai and nodded.

The masked Jounin walked towards a frustrated Sasuke and handed him his Kunai. "Here you go Sasuke go on and show us how far you can go".

The raven haired boy scoffed and forcefully took the kunai from the copy ninja's hand. He gathered his chakra to his feet and quickly ran to the tree making it a couple feet up. He immediately felt like that was his limit and slashed the bark with the kunai marking his progress for him to cross next time.

Kakashi smiled and praised him, "Not bad Sasuke that was a good distance for your first time".

Sasuke simply grumbled not feeling like his accomplishment was anything to celebrate considering Naruto had done it in his first try.

Kakashi signaled for the rest of the team to begin. All of them didn't do as good as Sasuke, but they still did pretty good. While they were doing that the sharingan user turned his head towards the bored looking Naruto who was just standing there like a statue. "Come on Naruto I'll show you something cool for you to learn alright".

Naruto nodded feeling a bit intrigued on what the sharingan user could possibly teach him.

Kakashi smiled and turned towards a confused Asuma, "Asuma I'm going to take Naruto you go ahead and watch their progress. If any of them finish with that teach them to walk on water alright". Asuma hesitantly nodded not sure what Kakashi had in mind.

Sasuke meanwhile overheard the whole thing and was frustrated that Naruto was the one being taught not him. He turned towards the tree and pushed himself even harder resulting in him making it even higher than before. It still wasn't enough though. His frustrations grew when he saw Sakura reach the top of the tree like it was nothing.

Sakura was happily smiling while swinging her legs, "Hey Kaka-sensei I finished". She happily chirped making the rest sight in frustration.

The masked Jounin wasn't that surprised that she was able to make it first. Considering she had the lowest chakra amount than the rest of them. "That's good Sakura now jump off and let someone else use that tree".

Sakura nodded and walked down the tree feeling it was safer than simply jumping off like Naruto had done. She walked up to Sasuke not realizing that he was angrier than before feeling weak that a girl like Sakura had managed to get all the way to the top instead of him an Uchiha.

Kakashi waved goodbye to them and signaled for Naruto to follow him. After several moments had passed they finally reached their destination which seemed like an abandoned training ground. He set his crutches aside and waved for him to follow him. "Alright Naruto since you possess the sharingan and have superior control over lightning I decided I would pass along one of my original techniques that is extremely powerful and deadly". Kakashi saw his curious eyes and smiled feeling some sort of accomplishment that he could make him feel that way. "Alright the trick is to gather as much electricity as you can and focus it on your hand". He brought his arm forward and began to gather electricity making it chirp loudly. "See like this. Now this technique is enhanced with the sharingan since it requires speed and agility. Since you possess it will make it a lot easier. So go ahead and try".

Naruto nodded feeling a bit excited about learning a new technique. He gathered as much electricity as he could in his hand and tried to replicate what Kakashi had done. However it didn't go over too well since he had apparently used too much electricity making it scatter all over the place.

Kakashi saw his disappointment in failing to get it, "Don't worry about it Naruto you didn't actually expect to get it on your first time did you? The masked Jounin was answered with silence indicating that Naruto did in fact believe he would get it on his first try.

Kakashi tapped him on the shoulder and smiled, "Keep trying Naruto and remember failing doesn't mean that you won't ever succeed. Also use the sharingan when you try it I'm sure it will help you". He began to walk away and waved to him goodbye, "I'm going to check up on the others keep practicing as much as you want just come back by dinner alright".

Naruto gazed at his right hand and clenched it in determination. His subconscious began to tingle signifying that Keiko was about to talk. **'**_**Keep trying Naruto-kun I'm sure you will get it eventually right'. **_Naruto mentally thanked her and returned to his training wanting to show Kakashi that he was capable of doing it in one day.

(Several hours later)

Naruto was finally able to finish the technique that Kakashi had taught him. He had to admit that Kakashi did know what he was talking about regarding Jutsu. This made his electricity as precise as possible and was capable of piercing anything he wanted. This move is also extremely dangerous if used by the wrong people. He continued gazing at the night sky realizing that it was already this late.

He sighed and stood up from his comfortable patch of grass stretching a bit from the constant training he had done. The whole field around him was covering by scorch marks and the trees had deep holes through them. He quickly tensed when feeling a sudden presence behind him. '_Keiko-chan do you feel that? _He was quickly answered by his partner, _**'Yeah Naruto-kun I feel her as well. She has been watching us for quite some time now I thought you had noticed by now'. **_

Naruto mentally chuckled at his lack of awareness, '_Sorry about that Keiko-chan. I honestly had no idea that she was there at all. Let's go see what she want's with us shall we'. _Naruto immediately made his acknowledgement that he had sensed her known. "Come out and show yourself and make this easier on all of us". He sighed when feeling the intruder began to run for it. He was surprised at how fast she was for a mere villager, but of course he was able to easily catch up to her in a matter of seconds.

He appeared in front of the girl making her silently gasp in surprise. Naruto's demonic looking sharingan eyes began to bore into the surprisingly calm looking girl. "Hello there girl may I know the reason towards your discreetness". He was answered by silence making him agitated at her lack of cooperation. _**'Naruto-kun I sense that this girl is hiding something from us. I smell someone else's stench on her clothes and it belongs to a guy'. **_Naruto mentally nodded, _'Interesting I wonder who this guy is'. _

Naruto had no time to ponder when he was suddenly kicked backwards leaving a nice distance between them both. The white haired boy quickly recovered and witnessed several senbon coming straight at him with the intent to kill. He swiftly managed to grab every single one of them with the aid of his sharingan and was surprised that they were pure ice. He brought one to eye level and carefully examined it, "Well well well it seems you have a rare affinity in ice". Naruto saw the girl jump in surprise not yet knowing that he had made a clone that was already behind her with a senbon of his own at her neck. The clone made his presence known by pressing the ice cold senbon at her soft neck drawing a bit of blood as a result.

The real Naruto walked calmly towards the girl and carefully examined what she was wearing. It was a pink sleeveless kimono with pale red edges that was decorated with swirls around it. "So I will give you one chance to give me what I want to hear. If you don't cooperate with my generous offer then I will have to extract it from you the hard way". He came dangerously closer to her and brushed his hand across her pale cheeks making her flinch at the coldness. The passing of the time with no questions yet answered made the white haired boy a very agitated individual. He signaled for the clone to press on the senbon even harder drawing even more blood than before that trickled down her pink kimono staining it.

He sighed and signaled the clone to kill itself so that it could disappear. As soon as she felt the presence disappear behind her she immediately bolted from place trying to escape. Her escape however didn't even begin since Naruto firmly grabbed her slender wrist making it impossible to escape. He effortlessly brought the girl to eye level and gazed at her with his sharingan spinning madly. "I will ask you once again girl. . .for?

Hearing no response once again he decided to let a bit of electricity flow through her body and see if that would change her mind. He smirked when seeing her struggling to escape his iron grip feeling the numbness in her body begin to take hold. "You only need to tell me who you are and who sent you. This is your choice do you want to die and leave whoever you're working for wondering what happened to you tonight".

This apparently hit a nerve when he felt her stop struggling for a moment and seriously glare at him with her dark brown eyed fixed on him.

He stopped his electricity for a moment allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief. She continued gazing at the white haired boy and was entranced by his glowing sharingan eyes. She quickly averted her gaze and hid the small blush that was forming around her cheeks. "M-my name is Haku. Would you please let me go now?

Naruto suddenly threw her to the ground and pinned her with his weight. If you were to walk up upon them it would seem they were in the middle of something sexual. Naruto's hot breath tickled her inner shoulder making her shiver at the sensation. "Now Haku-chan you know that the real question is still left unanswered. Who sent you to spy on me? Or did you perhaps do it on your own accord".

The female known as Haku turned her head not wanting to look at him considering their humiliating position.

Naruto saw this and quickly got up realizing what she was thinking. "Just tell me who you work for and I promise to let you live".

Haku didn't know what to do at the moment since if she revealed she worked for Zabuza it would mean she betrayed him. On the other hand if she didn't say who she worked for then she would die tonight by this mysterious boy that possessed one of the most terrifying Doujutsu that was ever born. She had heard from her sensei that if she were to ever come across a sharingan user alone then it would be game over for her. She sighed realizing that she had no other choice than to reveal her master's name. "Fine I work for Zabuza Momochi and it was on my own accord to spy on you". She gasped when feeling a hand on her neck literally squeezing the life from her.

Naruto smirked at the important information he had just received, "So you're the one that pulled Zabuza away from certain death. You're the one that disguised yourself as a Hunter-nin huh. Interesting that you would be a girl all this time". He began to grip even tighter than before making her gasp for air. His mind immediately erupted into a loud ring, _**'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING NARUTO-KUN. YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HER IF YOU CONTINUE! **_

Naruto immediately released her from his grip and let her drop down onto the cold floor. He managed to compose his growing anger and gazed at the girl that was gasping for air. "Listen closely Haku-chan. Tell your _'master'_ that if he still plans to kill the bridge builder then it will only result in his death by my hand. However I know this Zabuza isn't working alone. Tell me who is controlling him and you or I swear I'll make you tell me where your master is and I'll kill you all". His warning didn't go unheard by the female ninja who only nodded.

Haku slowly got up to her feet and steadied herself, "Even if you knew his name you will never reach him. He is protected by many ninja of various calibers and would make it near impossible to catch him alone".

Naruto laughed at her fear, "Do not worry about my well-being Haku-chan after all this is my life we are talking about. You could care less if I wound up dead or not".

Haku clenched her teeth at his cockiness, "Fine his name is Gato. He is the one that is paying us for the death of the bridge builder Tazuna. He offered us even more money to kill the rest of you".

Naruto nodded and walked closer to her, "When are you attacking Haku-chan?

Haku clenched her fists at feeling so helpless in this situation, "We are attacking exactly two days from now at the bridge".

The white haired boy deactivated his sharingan revealing his cerulean blue eyes to her. "Haku-chan I offer you a chance to join me and I promise you your life".

Haku immediately turned down his offer, "No thanks I would rather kill myself than be with you". She spit venomously.

Naruto sighed and walked away from her, "Fine be that way Haku-chan. Just know that if you join me you will get anything you want. You won't to be constantly living in fear and under ball and chain from your master Zabuza. In two days Zabuza will be dead and in the end you're going to ask yourself what exactly did I accomplish".

The female ninja known as Haku saw the mysterious boy began to walk away leaving her alone in the vast dark forest. She was debating whether or not it was wise not to join him. After all she could already tell how powerful this boy was and didn't know if Zabuza could handle all of them and survive. She clenched her fists in her helplessness and brought her determined brown eyes towards the young boy. "Wait! She yelled after him making him stop in his tracks.

Naruto smirked having an idea that this would be the result. He turned towards her and waited for her response.

The black haired girl avoided his gaze and sighed in defeat, "Fine I will join you alright."

Naruto smiled feeling happy that he had gotten her to agree not wanting to kill her when they met once again.

Haku immediately stated her rules, "However if I join you please let Zabuza live". Her eyes were beginning to water knowing that if she lost Zabuza then her life would be meaningless.

Naruto clenched his fists when seeing the cute girl cry because of him. He quickly arrived next to her and laid his hand on top of her head silently comforting her the best way he knew how. "F-fine just stop crying already. It makes me feel weird".

Haku felt his warm hand on top of her and it reminded her of a happier time with her family. She finally managed to calm down and gazed at him wanting to find out what _'joining'_ him meant.

Naruto sighed in relief when hearing Haku finally stop crying. He witnessed her gaze and guessed that she wanted to know what to do next. He stepped away from her and regained his calm demeanor, "Alright now that you accepted in joining me then Zabuza in no longer your Master. You will no longer answer to him and will answer only to me alright". He saw her hesitantly nod not knowing what this would mean for her future.

Naruto began to walk deeper into the forest and nudged at her to follow him. "Take me to Zabuza, Haku-chan I want to have a word with him".

**A/N: And scene. Few that was quite a long chapter to write in just a couple of days. I am having an inner battle with myself concerning the pairing. Now I know that I had proclaimed it would be Samui, but now I'm not too sure about it. Who knows it could still be her so I will create a poll regarding the pairing. So it will be up to you to decide. I strongly encourage you to REVIEW since I was a bit disapointent by my last chapter's REVIEWS. Please don't let me experience that pain again and REVIEW. It will make my chapter come by much faster and will keep me from simply stopping this story which I don't want to do. So once again please REVIEW what you think about it. Black Crow Out!**


	21. Naruto vs Zabuza

_**A:N/ Guess who's back you guys have you guessed yet no then it is non-other than me haha. This chapter took me a while to type out so please read it. I wanted to release it before Christmas because I'm such a nice guy haha. No but seriously in this chapter introduce a new character that will have a huge impact on the story so pay attention. Please don't forget to review and read all the way to end peace.**_

_(1 hour later)_

**(Location Deep in the Forest)**

Two figures could be seen in the darkness of the forest walking in total silence making their travel even tenser. The shadows currently residing in the heart of the forest were completely focused on something in particular. This something had created a wedge between the both of them creating utter silence between the two hostile ninja. The trees moaned as the modest cool breeze passed through the young boy's white locks making them dance in the darkness. The white haired ninja's bright blue eyes glowed in the darkness of the forest. His vision had not left the slim female ninja better known as Haku who was currently walking silently in front of him.

Even though it was his plan to go and meet this Zabuza face to face he wasn't quite sure what to expect; when it came to meeting the one that he was supposed to kill since the very beginning. He realized that he was taking an awfully dangerous risk by going to meet him all alone with no back up whatsoever, but he felt that it was a necessary risk to potentially end this once and for all. Sure it might've looked like he was being too naïve for going along with Haku to simply talk to him. Even though he knew that they were partners for how knows how long. Where she could very well be leading him straight into a trap and would betray him.

Even though he knew all that he still had promised the Kunochi that he would grant her former master safe passage. The catch would be that Haku would remain by his side now. Well at least that's what he had told her anyways. Who knows what might be going through her head right now. As they continued walking he was beginning to doubt whether or not he should keep his word to Haku in leaving the missing-nin alive. His concerns laid in the fact that if he did leave him alive to live another day what would the missing-nin be planning. Would he potentially try and rescue his partner or would he go for revenge and kill his friends when the time came to battle him again.

The white haired young man clenched his fists in anger at the thought of his friends having to suffer just because of his indecision. No matter what he absolutely did not want to witness another tragedy happen. He promised himself that he would do anything he could to prevent needless slaughter. Especially since he still felt guilty for his friend's deaths that happened a while ago. Even though everyone told him that it wasn't his fault that wasn't the way he saw it. He had the power to prevent his friend's deaths, but his greed for more caused him something precious.

His cerulean eyes softened and gazed back at the unsuspecting girl who was still calmly walking forward. His mind was in turmoil at the decision of simply killing her right then and now. This way he just needed to take care of Zabuza and be done with it. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that this would be the easiest route to success his conscious would not let him do it. On the other hand what would happen if he didn't keep his word with her?

Would she try and kill him for not keeping his word with her. Or would she go the obvious route and instead aim for his teammates considering they were easy prey. Neither of those results seemed possible since it would involve their lives. On the other hand if he did manage to kill Zabuza tonight what would happen with her then? Would she simply go back on her word and kill herself out of misery. That was another result he absolutely did not want to let happen no matter what consequences befall him.

So now you see where his dilemma stands. The way he sees it he has two options right now. The first one would be to simply try and persuade the missing-nin that what he is doing is meaningless and would only result in his demise and her's as well. His other choice is pretty vain in that he simply kills him and completes his mission.

His bright blue eyes clouded with hesitation continuing to linger on the calm looking ice Kunochi. They continued to walk in utter silence completely unaffected by the darkness surrounding them. He was a bit curious on what exactly the ice wielding Kunochi was thinking right now considering her position was not in her favor. Was she perhaps planning on simply making a run for it once they reached their destination?

That action would be unwise on her part considering she had firsthand witnessed how outmatched she was in terms of raw speed. Another possible result would be that she was just going along with his plan like a good girl and in the end she would betray him and team up with Zabuza and kill him right then and there. When pondering more on that solution he began to see clearly that it was completely possible to happening. Considering if he was in her situation right now and someone was waiting for him to return then he would not hesitate to get rid of the problem at hand.

His eyes continued to linger on her figure and was intrigued by her attire. It seemed to him that she liked to wear more traditional outfits than most girls her age would absolutely not be seen wearing. She was certainly different compared to his other female teammates that he had seen. Ino and Sakura were most certainly different when it came to fashion that's for sure. Their strength was another major difference between them. Of course the most interesting part about her was her calm demeanor and her uncanny ability to create ice at will.

This event had certainly raised his interest in her since he considered himself to be the only one to have that kind of control over the rare element. That naivety changed when he witnessed her easily handling the element and expertly using it against him. It dawned on him that he wasn't the only one that was special. Who knows how many people had peculiar abilities that could potentially be stronger than his own powers. It most certainly brought the question on how many people were stronger than him and if he could ever surpass them.

He also had questions on how she was able to create it so easily. He predicted that her ability came from some kind of rare blood line that seemed to begin with her or end he wasn't sure. Her methods of creating the ice and his own were completely different. He relied on his blue sharingan to be able to perfectly control the element while the girl in front of him seemed to have the genuine blood line.

He couldn't imagine what kind of life she had grown up in before she wound up with Zabuza Momochi also known as The Demon of the Mist. What could've possibly brought them together and why in the world would someone such as Haku continue to follow Zabuza after all he has done. It was quite possible that she didn't even know of all the horrors he had done or she simply didn't care about his past.

The more he thought about it the more it seemed likely that she just didn't care about his past. Zabuza must have done something to create this bond with her that she would willingly call Zabuza her master.

He was brought out of his troubled state of mind by a commanding voice in his mind belonging to the darkness inside of him. _**'Naruto-kun why are you so troubled by this? Can't you leave it alone and simple expect you will succeed. There is no reason to have your mind clouded with all these useless worries if they are only going to hinder you. You must realize what must be done and get it over with plain and simple". **_Naruto eyes hardened at the lack of emotion coming from his partner considering the situation he was currently in. _'So you're telling me to simply kill them without giving them a chance? Pretty ironic considering it was you that yelled at me to stop when I was choking Haku-chan not too long ago'._

Naruto felt the darkness inside of him gasp at his response clearly surprised with his coldness. _**'O-of course it was me that encouraged you to drop the girl. That was just in the heat of the moment. That moment doesn't excuse the fact that you have a mission to accomplish. You must know when to make the hard decisions. If this hard decision leads to their deaths then so be it. You don't even know them so don't be cowardly of what the future might be Naruto-kun. You must understand that this selfless action could potentially save your teammates from having to fight and potentially die in battle'. **_

Naruto stood silent still contemplating over what his partner had just told him. Of course he realized what might happen if he decided to leave them alive. He had gone through so many potential results so many times now. The obvious result would be revenge resulting in them fighting the both of them in a later date if they managed to defeat him. He had gone through all the possibilities, but somehow he just didn't have it in him to follow his partner's path, at least not yet. When he looked at Haku it somehow compelled him to leave her alive and unharmed as much as possible.

It was as if some divine force was forcing him to acknowledge what his actions could lead to. He felt something oddly familiar when he looked at the pale brown eyed girl. She seemed eerily familiar in many ways to his friends that he had made a long time ago in happier times. At the same time he felt that she was somehow even closer to his own personality. He knew that she was strong from having easily outsmarted the man known to have copied over a thousand jutsus. At the same time she was capable of handling herself considering she had been with Zabuza for who knows how long. Add to the list that she had the same power as him. If that wasn't fate then he didn't know what was.

He sighed in frustration and paused in mid stride bringing his bright blue eyes towards the bright full moon thinking over his potential decision. '_Keiko-chan I'm happy that you feel concerned over my well-being, but you have to realize that not everything is set in stone. Things tend to change in a flash. Sure leaving them alive might cause some problems for me and my teammates. It might even lead to more tragedy, but I will never know unless I try and convince him that what he is doing will only lead to his death'. _His voice adopted one of pure seriousness over the matter at hand. 'If_ that doesn't work then the answer is pretty simple right. Just have some faith and continue to give me advice ok'. _He mentally gave her a small smile trying to appease her mind over his decision to talk to him instead of killing him outright.

The darkness quickly morphed into a beautiful young girl and smiled, '_**Alright Naruto-kun I'll trust you on this one'. **_Her calm looking face quickly turned cold, '_**However don't hesitate to kill them all if things don't go as you planned. Don't let your petty feeling get in the way of your objective. Don't forget who you are. Remember that this is the way you have lived your entire life. Don't change because of some girl that has some slight resemblance with you'. **_

The white haired ninja mentally nodded with his partner knowing what she was telling him was true. No matter how harsh she might have sounded he knew that the next several hours would measure how strong his strength and resolve was. He had been living by this code ever since he had gotten his powers from his mother. He realized since the beginning it was survival of the fittest and only the strong would come out triumphant.

Meanwhile the ice wielding Kunochi stopped for a moment sensing that her _'master'_ had suddenly stopped walking. She turned herself around and brought her beautiful large brown eyes towards the daydreaming white haired boy and wondered what made him stop. She made her voice sharp and to the point in hopes that it would snap him out of his daze. "Naruto-san can we perhaps keep moving. I'm sure Zabuza-sama, I-I mean Zabuza-san is waiting for us to return".

Her face pained with hopelessness considering her situation right now. She knew that after this day it wouldn't be the same. She could potentially lose her father figure to some cocky kid if she didn't cooperate with him. Well it wasn't as if she didn't expect this from happening one day since they had been on the run pretty much since the time she was rescued by him. That day was actually one of the most important days in her young life considering a couple of years ago she had been living on the street with no family and no purpose to continue living.

The only reason she had managed to survive would be the occasional traveler that would be kind enough to give her some scraps. Other than that she was completely alone in this world. She was forced to steal and hunt to survive deciding to use her god given powers for something useful. It still wasn't enough to guarantee a meal every day since the land had become barren from the harsh weather. She would be constantly starving from the lack of food and would be crying if it wasn't for the fact that she had cried away all her tears a long time ago. She cried many nights from the fact that her mother was killed by her monster of a father. He had singlehandedly destroyed their happy family and now she had no one, but herself to rely on.

One fateful day while she was walking through the frozen streets completely barefoot her eyes caught a strange shinobi walking alone along the frozen curve. For some reason her instinct screamed at her to pursue this man. It might have been for the simple fact that she would do anything to survive. She didn't care who this man was and only had one thing in mind…to survive or die trying.

_(Flashback several years ago)_

**(Location small village in the Land of Water)**

A slender figure could be seen standing alongside the road in nothing, but the clothes on her back which was a kimono. Even though the temperature outside was currently below zero she appeared unaffected from it. The unknown figure brought her head upwards and winced at the tiny snowflakes that landed on her temple. She brought her unhealthy petite arms upwards and wiped away the moisture and brought it to her mouth feeling thirsty. She slowly slid down the wall starting to feel weak once again from her legs.

Well that happened from the lack of food in her stomach, but what could she do to help it. There was absolutely no animal to hunt right now and all the people in the town would run her out no matter what she did. She brought her slender arms around her knees and huddled trying to get rid of the growing pain in her stomach. Her brown eyes dulled when realizing that her time on the earth was closely coming to a slow an agonizing end.

It had been this way since the time she killed her father out of rage for what he had done to her precious mother. At that time she just unleashed her power on him not caring what the consequences would be. She felt satisfied at having her revenge for her mother, but as time went by she realized that she still felt empty inside. Because of that nobody would adopt her or even give her a chance in fear that she would do the same to them. She couldn't blame them for their concern since she herself was frightful of her power when she realized what she could do with it.

She could finally protect herself from anything, but at the same time it brought fear to people if she showed it. Now here she was completely alone with nothing to look forward to and not knowing what would come next in her life. Would she even survive the next couple of days? Would she die with nothing to show for it and nobody to feel sorry for her? A single tear gently cascaded down her pale cheeks quickly freezing from the cold temperatures outside.

The next couple of hours were spent trying to sooth her growing stomach pains. The cold didn't really bother her that much. She chalked it up to having ice powers thus not feeling the cold because of it. Her powers were nothing if she didn't get something to eat. Her last meal had been a couple of days ago and she didn't know if she would make it past the night. Her hope for survival was quickly fading and her purpose in life was incomplete. She weakly nudged her head trying to remove the building snow that had piled up over the next couple hours.

Her long black hair lacked in color over the lack of nutrients. She breathed a long sigh wincing at the building pain on her chest. Her eyes had long since dulled at the lack of hope. They however quickly retained their color when she witnessed a figure in the far distance coming her way.

She narrowed her eyes to try and get a better look at the person, but the figure was too far away to get a good view of his physical features. The couple of minutes passed while the unknown figure continued to approach and was now at eye distance. She quickly distinguished his grey flak jacket and knew he was some sort of ninja. She also noticed his bandaged face and his forehead protector. She willed herself up and trudged through the heavy snow towards the man that she felt would give her purpose.

The unknown ninja saw the image of a small girl trying her hardest to come towards him. At first he thought that it was just a coincidence, but as time went by it was clear that her intention was to meet him. He brought his cold eyes towards the slender female and waited for her to reach him. One thing he quickly caught was how poorly she was dressed to be able to survive in this temperature. After a couple agonizing minutes of seeing her struggle to reach him she finally managed to achieve it.

The slender girl brought her pale face towards the unknown stranger and tried her best to bring out a smile like her mother had taught her. "H-hello there shinobi-san my name is Haku nice to meet you". Her voice was coarse, but she still managed somehow. She brought her slender arm towards him and offered him her hand in greeting. She was disappointed when he didn't accept her friendly greeting and simply gazed at her with eyes that seemed eerily familiar.

She continued to smile even though she was in serious pain. "C-can I ask a favor of you shinobi-san? Hearing nothing, but silence from the strange tall man she decided to continue anyways. "C-can I perhaps join you in your travels? She pointed towards the place where she was before making her point. "A-as you can see I have nothing so I beg you take me with you". Silence continued to plague the both of them until the unknown shinobi simply scoffed and continued walking leaving her bewildered and alone.

Haku desperately tried to reach his retreating form realizing that her chance was quickly slipping away. "W-wait didn't you hear me I want to go with you. Can't you understand that? She screamed as loud as she could feeling that he wouldn't hear her otherwise.

The tall figure immediately stopped in his tracks and remained unmoving for a couple minutes seemingly in thought. His sharp and commanding voice echoed throughout the empty street. "Don't make me laugh kid. Why would I possibly need you to join me? Do I look like I have time to take care of some annoying brat that doesn't have what it take to make it alone". He gazed towards the open sky and gave her an ultimatum, "Show me something that will make me taking you with me beneficial. If not then just continue to beg every random person to take you with them". His words were harsh and lacked any emotion whatsoever.

The petite looking girl known as Haku was frozen in shock at what he had just told her. If she could show him that taking her with him was worthwhile to him then this could be her chance to finally leave this place. Seeing him begin to leave she quickly mustered whatever strength she had left and began producing a single senbon made of pure ice. She was sweating bullets just from producing one single ice senbon, but she felt oddly satisfied that she was able to do it. She gazed at her creation and weakly brought it upwards trying to show the strange person. "H-here shinobi-san is this good enough? Can I come with you now?

The tall muscular man stopped in his tracks and slightly nudged his head backwards and narrowed his eyes at the object in her hands. The senbon was glistening in the sun apparently made out of pure ice, but how he wondered. He slowly turned around and approached her. He quickly snatched the object away from her and carefully inspected it.

The ice senbon glistened in the sunlight, '_How is this possible? I have never seen something like this created". _He brought his narrow eyes towards the smiling Haku, _'Was she the one that created this? Was she somehow able to manipulate the water in the air and create this single ice senbon? That's impossible not even I can achieve this sort of control over water'. _He quickly threw the single senbon towards a tree and widened his eyes when he saw it easily clear through it.

He slowly kneeled down and brought his cold eyes towards her own brown ones. "Tell me girl was it you that created that? He saw her quickly nod. "Can you show me how you did it?

The female orphan was shocked that he wanted to see the power that had brought her misery. She plastered a fake smile and nodded, "O-of course shinobi-san. If you promise me to take me with you". She didn't wait for his answer and mustered whatever strength she had gathered from the short rest and created even more senbon. She was now breathing in gulps feeling pain surrounding her whole body. She wearily handed her creation to him, "H-here y-you go ssir". She struggled to bring out her words feeling worse than ever before.

The masked shinobi was amazed at what he had seen. This girl in front of him was able to create ice out of thin air and she made it look easy. Even though his nature affinity was water he wasn't even close to be able to create that no matter how hard he tried. It was simply impossible for him. He quickly realized that this girl had something special to her and he wanted to find out what it was. The masked ninja stood up and began to walk away, "Come girl let us depart from this barren land". After several moments of complete silence he began to get confused.

He quickly got his answer when he turned around and witnessed the small girl face first on the deep snow covered road. He immediately bolted to her and took the young girl into his hands. "She must've used all her strength when showing me her power". He chuckled at her toughness, "This girl is most certainly intriguing". The next moment the both of them had simply vanished from sight leaving only their footprints in the snow.

_(Couple hours later)_

**(Location Unknown hotel room)**

Haku was currently sleeping in a huge bed surrounded by warmth. She lazily opened her eyes and picked herself up from bed. She quickly began to examine her surrounding not sure what was going on and where exactly she was. She quickly began producing several ice senbon not sure what would happen. She quickly snapped her head to the right when she heard a mocking chuckle. She was about to attack the intruder, but quickly stopped herself when she saw it was the man from before. She quickly dropped her senbon and adopted a face of curiousness. "Umm shinobi-san did you perhaps reconsider? She asked hesitantly unsure of where she stood right now.

The masked shinobi nodded and stood up from place, "Call me Zabuza from now on girl". He quickly approached her and made his point clear, "Understand this Haku, our relationship is simply of master and student. I am not your father so don't expect me to treat you as such. I will teach you how to fight properly and help you gain even more control over your unique power. While your only job will be to stand beside me and act as a body guard. That is your purpose in this life, but if you betray my trust then you know what happens then".

Haku was on the brink of tears at finally finding some sort of purpose, but managed to control herself not wanting to look weak in front of her master. "Z-Zabuza-sama does this mean that I will now be going with you? She asked unsure if any of this was real. She quickly relaxed when she saw him nod in confirmation. Her eyes lingered on his retreating form and was about to ask him where he was going, but was unable.

The tall muscular man slowly approached the door and was about to exit, but not before leaving his partner with some words. "Haku get plenty of rest today. Tomorrow we leave this place".

Haku nodded and uncharacteristically turned serious, "Zabuza-sama can I know the reason for our early departure". She asked wanting to know what her new masters purpose was.

The masked shinobi known only as Zabuza smirked under his mask at her curiosity. "Don't worry about that Haku just know that you will follow me wherever I go. You will protect me from anything that comes my way and I will do the same". He left her with those words leaving behind a smiling Haku relieved to have found her purpose in life no matter how simple it sounded.

_(Flashback end)_

**(Location Deep in Forest)**

After traveling with the masked shinobi she had learned many things from him. She knew about his ruthless background, but wasn't that appalled from it. Her mindset had quickly changed when she had joined Zabuza quickly realizing that it was survival of the fittest and those with power would come out on top. That is why she had been training as hard as she could to be able to protect her master from harm and would give her life if anything threatened it. After some time Zabuza finally told her about his plan in gaining enough funds to attempt another coup de tat on the current Mizukage. She didn't care if his plans involved killing other people. No her only purpose was to protect him like he had done to her all these years.

He had trained her furiously stating that she would become the ultimate weapon. She had followed everything that Zabuza had told her and thus far she had become stronger that she could have ever dream. But somehow that still wasn't enough and here she was gazing at the boy that held her life in his hands. She was absolutely furious and couldn't stand the sight of the emotionless guy. She didn't want to cause any trouble for her master, but what could she do she didn't have a choice in the matter. She breathed in and calmed herself for the decision she was about to make. She immediately began forming one handed seals and shouted, "**Ice style: Thousand Flying Ice Needles of Death". **

True to its name thousands of ice needles formed above the dazed Naruto who immediately back flipped out of harm's way landing in a decent sized lake. He didn't have time to react when he saw the ice wielding kunochi stomp her feet immediately freezing him in place. The ice kunochi breathed out a sigh of relief feeling like her plan had worked and she had finally defeated him. She should've known that it wouldn't be that easy.

The ice surrounding Naruto immediately turned into water and fell harmlessly in the lake. His face was one that you didn't want to see if you were facing against him. "Haku-chan I am gravely disappointed that you would go back on your word even though I specifically gave you my word that no harm would come to your master". He sighed and palmed his face feeling severely disappointed in her betrayal. He couldn't really blame her though since he would most likely do the same thing if he was in her situation. Naruto quickly activated his sharingan when he felt an enormous amount of chakra coming his way.

He witnessed a tall muscular man with short spikey black hair with a large sword strapped to his back that seemed eerily similar to a large butcher knife. He knew immediately that this guy was Zabuza just from the sheer pressure he was creating just by standing there. It made him feel excited when meeting the one that almost defeated Kakashi said to be one of the strongest shinobi in his generation.

The black haired shinobi kept his eyes completely focused on the white haired boy in front of him. His voice was clear when talking to Haku, "Haku it seems you have brought a guest with you. Tell me what you have in mind when bringing this boy with you". His tone was laced with sarcasm wanting to find out her purpose in bringing this boy with her.

The ice wielding kunochi negatively nodded, "Don't be mistaken Zabuza-sama this kid had me as a hostage and wanted me to bring him to you. He said that if I didn't he would kill me and you". He saw her clench her fists in frustration, "That was something I absolutely did not want to let happen. That is why I agreed with his plan and brought him here".

Zabuza scoffed at her excuse not realizing who exactly he was dealing with. "So tell me Haku who exactly is this kid that is giving you so much trouble". He asked wanting to know who this kid was not sure if he should be this laid back if he gave Haku this much trouble.

Haku calmly began to explain their situation. "What I have gathered this person in front of us is named Naruto Uzumaki and was originally sent here to back up the other group of Genin you fought before". She saw him tense at the mention of his past fight in where he failed to defeat a bunch of beginners even though it was mostly Kakashi that did the most damage.

The sword wielding shinobi scoffed at his opponent's background. "So this kid is just some genin fodder. Then why is he giving you so much trouble that you had him follow you all the way here? He asked curious as to what could've given his ultimate weapon so much trouble.

The ice wielding kunochi tensed remembering how easily he overpowered her in a matter of seconds. "Don't underestimate him Zabuza-sama this person possesses the sharingan and has stated that he can create ice like me. This kid is extremely fast for his age and is apparently experienced with battles by the way he reacts".

Zabuza was extremely intrigued at what he was hearing. He became agitated when he heard that this boy possessed the sharingan like that scarecrow Kakashi did. He believed that part since the kid in front of him had those annoying eyes that screamed superiority to anyone that faced them. He spit towards the ground feeling even more agitated than before. The second part that Haku mentioned he didn't quite believe since he thought that Haku was the only one of her kind to possess it. I guess he had to test it out first hand.

The black haired shinobi removed his blade from his back and pointed it towards the calm looking boy just waiting for them to begin. He turned towards Haku and told her his game plan. "Alright Haku let's test this kid and see what he has got. I will attack him head on while you attack with your senbon from a distance. Let's finish this kid as fast as possible so that we could prepare for tomorrow's mission shall we".

Haku nodded feeling extremely confident that they could defeat this mere genin. She was inspired by her master's words feeling like they couldn't lose if they were together. Boy was she in for a rude awakening.

Naruto's sharingan moved from left to right seeing them disappear from sight. He ducked just in time feeling the large blade breeze on top of him. He was about to grab his blade, but was unable when he felt dozens of senbon heading his way. The senbon bounced right off him making the ice wielding kunochi clench her teeth in anger. The white haired boy smirked at her attempts, "Haku-chan you know your attempts are futile right. Stop before you tire yourself out before we have even begun". His enjoyment was quickly interrupted when he heard chuckling coming to right of him.

Zabuza stood motionless going through hand signs so fast it was hard to follow even with his sharingan. "Don't get too cocky kid I'm still here, **Water style: Water Dragon Bullet". **He shouted creating a large dragon of pure water as it roared to life and towered over the white haired sharingan user. The masked shinobi saw him smirk, but disregarded it and sent the large water dragon roaring towards him.

Naruto meanwhile was calmly gazing towards the large water dragon that was heading directly his way aiming to take his life away. He chuckled at the situation he was in. "Didn't you hear from Haku-chan that I am able to control ice freely? You know what happens when ice meets water right". He smirked as the water dragon neared, "If not let me show you Zabuza".

The black haired missing-nin was confused on what he meant, but that was quickly erased. He saw the white haired boy raise a single hand towards the roaring dragon and immediately knew what was going to happen. "Tch cocky brat".

Naruto smirked and shouted loud enough for the both of them to hear, "This my friends is what happens when ice meets water. Ice always wins". Naruto's bright blue sharingan immediately activated granting him extreme control over the element. The water dragon immediately froze and shattered in front of them. Naruto retreated his hand and sighed feeling the power it took to freeze it. He smirked once again and informed the both of them of what was about to come. "If I were you I would get the hell out of the water. It's up to you if you heed my advice". He saw them both remain in place not feeling threatened whatsoever. Oh would they be in for a hurtful shock.

"Don't say I didn't warn you". Naruto suddenly erupted in electricity and brought his hands down electrifying the whole pond shocking both of them in the process. He chuckled and brought his hand upwards. He got lower bringing his sharingan eyes towards the annoyed looking missing-nin. "I'm coming for you Zabuza get ready". His words couldn't have been truer. He suddenly bolted from place and appeared right in front of the shocked missing-nin delivering a heavy kick to the side of his face successfully connecting sending him flying across the lake.

Zabuza was slow to get up after taking that hit head on. He wiped away the small trickle of blood from his mouth and smirked feeling excited. "Not too bad kid you managed to land a hit on me. That's impressive for a genin". Zabuza immediately disappeared and reappeared in front of the white haired boy. His eyes caught the fact that his sharingan was different than it was a moment ago. This time they were pure blue instead of the normal red.

This intrigued him, but he felt that it wasn't the time. He brought his large butcher blade and slashed at the boy failing to land a hit. He continued for several seconds of non-stop swinging, but couldn't manage to get a hit. Not until Haku had thrown him several dozen senbon successfully distracting him giving him a chance to land a hit leaving a deep gash on his chest. Zabuza back flipped away and saw that his blade was covered with blood. He smirked under the bandages, "Guess you're human after all. Seems to me you're not so special after all huh kid".

Naruto meanwhile dropped to one knee feeling the intense pain in his chest. He brought his hand from his chest and saw the huge amounts of blood smeared on them. '_Dammit I got distracted and was hit. This doesn't look good'. _His mind was blasted by his partner's voice. _**"Naruto! Why in the hell are you taking it easy on them? You could easily finish them off if you wanted to. What's holding you back you idiot? **_Naruto chuckled at her worry, _'Don't worry about it Keiko-chan I got everything under control'._

He was blasted once again by the angry Keiko. _**'What the hell do you mean don't worry. Don't you realize that you have a huge fucking slash across your chest? **_Naruto waved off her concerns, _'The fox will take care of that Keiko-chan'. _Keiko went quiet knowing what he meant by that. She was told a bit about his situation regarding the Kyuubi, but not enough to not be worried.

Naruto finishing with his brief conversation sighing stood up and showed them that his wound had been healed.

Zabuza clenched his teeth in frustration when seeing the huge gash he had made was completely gone. '_How is that fucking possible? It shouldn't heal that fast. At least it should leave a scar, but I see none whatsoever. What's going on with that kid? _He was brought out of his train of thought by the sudden shout coming from his partner warning him of what was coming. Zabuza saw a thin stream of ice coming directly after him seemingly wanting to freeze him. He chuckled at his tactic and simply shattered the thin strip of ice into pieces.

Naruto sighed knowing that it wasn't going to be that easy. He was beginning to get bored of their little game and simply told him what his plan was. "Zabuza! Just give up in your mission to kill the bridge builder. It will only lead to your death you must realize that".

Zabuza tensed when learning that he knew his mission and brought his gaze towards his partner who was trembling. Whether it was in frustration or defeat he wasn't sure. He began to chuckle at being talked down to by a mere kid. He raised one hand upwards and brought the other close to his mouth. "Try and find me now kid, **Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu". **The modest sized lake had been entirely covered in thick mist that prevented Naruto from using his sharingan.

Naruto deactivated his sharingan feeling it was worthless inside this mist that Zabuza had created. The white haired kid began clapping at his ingenuity, "Very clever of you Zabuza. I am now helpless without my sharingan". His carefree attitude immediately morphed into one of pure seriousness as he once again reactivated his sharingan. "Unfortunately for you I have trained in these kinds of conditions before rendering your petty jutsu useless. Now if you don't mind I will now end this battle once and for all and kill you right here". The entire area was blasted with an immense power source completely destroying the thick mist that Zabuza had created.

The missing-nin could feel the sheer amount of power that the white haired boy was creating right now. You could physically feel the raw power surrounding him. The water around him was being blown away by sheer power. His whole body had erupted with electricity making it seem like he was a human conductor. He brought his eyes towards the darkening skies and could see something was forming in the skies. That something didn't look like it would be pleasant to feel.

He quickly bolted from place seeing Naruto with his eyes closed apparently his jutsu required time to create. He quickly neared him, but was unable to go any further when he felt another presence right beside him. He saw that it was a clone of Naruto. Thinking it would be weak he immediately went for the kill, but was surprised when the clone quickly dodged and landed a heavy punch to his back pushing him deep underwater from the intensity of the blow. The missing-nin quickly swam upwards and jumped out of the water meeting once again with the serious looking Naruto clone. He massaged his shoulder still feeling the hit, "Heh it seems like I underestimated you huh kid".

Zabuza was not given any sort of response from the clone who only had one job. To protect his master in order to give him enough time to achieve the jutsu.

Zabuza smirked and once again engaged the clone in close quarters combat swinging his enormous blade around. The clone easily dodged his quick slashes and continued to match Zabuza blow for blow. The black haired shinobi grew agitated and began to form hand signs for his next move. Oddly enough the clone was just as fast as him and did the exact same technique. Both shouted out at the same time, **"Water style: Giant Vortex Jutsu". **Both tidal waves roared towards each other until finally colliding against each other and destroying themselves in the process.

Zabuza grew a tick mark on his forehead remembering that this exact same thing happened when he was fighting Kakashi. Except this time it was done all by a damn clone. It wasn't even the real thing for damn sakes.

Meanwhile with Haku, the ice kunochi had for the most part been on the sidelines not wanting to interfere with Zabuza's battle. However this time she was feeling a sense of dread when looking towards the ominous looking skies. Lightning and thunder had been erupting more frequently the more Naruto had been standing in place. She knew that he was preparing the jutsu for Zabuza and she realized that this jutsu was going to be a giant one. She quickly bolted towards her master and advised him that it would be wise to retreat. "Zabuza-sama I think we should get out of here. I don't think we will survive whatever jutsu he is planning".

Zabuza didn't pay attention to his weapon and was merely glaring at clone in front of him. He was extremely agitated by now from the way that the clone seemed to be mocking him. "Don't be afraid Haku. We just need to destroy this annoying clone and then we strike the Uzumaki". He saw Haku hesitate, but didn't wait for her to respond and simply dashed forwards and sliced once again at the calm looking clone.

Surprisingly the clone was slashed in half easily leaving open the real Naruto who still appeared to be meditating. He immediately took his only chance to strike and brought his huge butcher knife right on top of him. It was stopped immediately by a thick wall of ice that shockingly came from the ice kunochi. The missing-nin face turned extremely serious, "What the hell is the meaning of this Haku. Why are you protecting him?

Haku gazed towards her trembling hands feeling shameful, "I-I don't know why I did that my body just reacted".

Zabuza didn't know what had come over her, but didn't let it bother him right now. He immediately went for another blow, but was blown back by a tremendous amount of pressure coming from the white haired boy. It was so powerful he had use an enormous amount of chakra to simply stick to the water. He covered his face from the wind and was shocked at the scene before him. Naruto's whole body was covered with electricity, but this electricity was blood red. His sharingan was spinning madly and his voice appeared to change.

The white haired boy was covered by a thin veil of the Kyuubi's chakra making his electricity even fiercer than before. **"Damn, it seems like I used a bit too much chakra making the damns fox's come out". **He brought his glowing sharingan eyes towards the awed Zabuza and Haku. He pointed towards Zabuza with his Kyuubi cloaked arm, **"You should've listened to her Zabuza. It might've saved your life if you simply gave up or escaped. Unfortunately for you that is too late now". **

Naruto was struck by a huge lightning bolt from the heavens activating his jutsu. He looked back towards the surprisingly calm looking Zabuza that seemed more excited than scared. Naruto chuckled at his expression knowing that Zabuza was the real deal not at all like those punks that he had fought before. **"This is it Zabuza it was fun fighting you, but we all knew how it would end". ** He looked one last time towards the kunochi and it broke his heart at the look he was giving him. It was of utter hopelessness knowing that her time on this world was quickly coming to an end.

He clenched his teeth in frustration not believing what he was about to offer. **HAKU! TAKE HIM AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE NOW! THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE DON'T THROW IT AWAY! **

Both Haku and Zabuza were shocked that he would willing to let them leave even though he clearly had the upper hand. Haku looked like she was about to burst into tears from what Naruto just told her. She quickly nodded and grabbed Zabuza by the arm pulling him away from Naruto. Zabuza was reluctant to leave the battle feeling like his pride would be ripped away from him if he left. Haku knew that this was happening, but didn't let it stop her from achieving what she wanted. "Zabuza-sama! Let's go already we will face him another time and we will be better prepared".

The missing-nin was extremely reluctant at leaving, but knew that he was outmatched at the moment. "Tch, you win this round kid, but don't get cocky. Next time the result will be your death. Be prepared". He immediately began to cough out blood from the result of the long winded battle he had just fought. He felt that he had absolutely no chakra to mold. This was the first time in quite a while that he had felt this way.

Haku smiled hearing that and aided him like a crutch. They immediately disappeared through an ice mirror created by Haku. She turned around one more time and saw Naruto's defeated face knowing that he had failed in bringing her to his side. She turned away and passed through the ice mirror leaving him alone once again.

Naruto immediately dropped to one knee feeling extremely fatigued. He had long since deactivated his sharingan, "Damn that jutsu takes a lot of chakra huh". He tiredly chuckled, "I didn't even get too use it in the end heh". He felt that similar tingle in his mind meaning only one thing. _**"Why in the hell did you let them escape Naruto-kun? What happened to doing things that must be done? It's that damn girl right…yes of course I'm right what other reason could it be. You were too easy on them as well. You gave them too much opportunity. This is so unlike you Naruto-kun don't change now". **_

Naruto merely nodded not really feeling like complaining with her. _'You're absolutely right Keiko-chan, but I couldn't help it. It was too much fun to simply end it there. Plus did you see the way Haku-chan looked? I-I just couldn't break her heart'_. He heard his partner sight at his excuse. _**"You do realize that they will come back tomorrow right. They will cause your teammates trouble you know". **_

Naruto was about to respond, but was unable to when he felt an enormous amount of chakra appear right behind him. His sharingan immediately activated, but wasn't fast enough to block the kick that sent him flying through the lake. He finally managed to gather himself while his sharingan was in overtime trying to figure out what just hit him. He quickly saw that there was another figure across from him and the closer he examined he horrifyingly saw both Zabuza and Haku unconscious in his hands.

The figure across from him spoke in a cool and confident voice not intimidated in the least by the white haired kid. "So you're the one called Uzumaki Naruto huh…**interesting**".

_**A: N/ And scene. In this chapter I finally introduce someone that will have a greater impact later on in the story. Now tell me what you thought of the fights and about the mysterious stranger. Believe it or not I actually already have the other chapter typed and ready to go. It was actually part of this chapter but I felt it would be too long so decided to cut it for another chapter. Anyways tell me if you expected this to happen or not. Tell me if you are enjoying this story so far and tell some of the things that you are not. Believe me I read all the review and try to respond to them all if they have something that needs to be answered. Alright Until next time BlackCrow out! REVIEW!**_


	22. A New Purpose

**A/N: Hello my fellow reader today I bring you another chapter of my story. I have nothing in particular to say so please enjoy the story and review. P.s please read my ending Authors note so you can have chance to be mentioned. Peace! And Review!**

_**A New Purpose**_

The mysterious shinobi stood frozen while he confidently gazed towards the bewildered white haired boy. The mysterious figure seemed to be a man in his early twenties that wore a plain blue outfit. His long blue hair cascaded across his back ending just below his shoulder blades. He had very vibrant dark blue eyes that had a large scar running through his right eye.

The strong looking shinobi smirked while he carried both Haku and Zabuza effortlessly in each arm. "So you are the one everybody has been talking about huh". His demeanor quickly turned dangerous, "I don't see what all the talk is about. All I see is a frightened little boy that can't decide whether he should run away or stand his ground". The mysterious man smirked once again feeling superior at the situation, "Am I right Uzumaki".

The white haired boy stood unmoving while gazing towards the strange man that was carrying something he cared about. He was about to respond to his mocking attitude, but was quickly interrupted by an enormous ringing in his mind coming from his partners apparent screams. _**'NARUTO! Whatever you do you must absolutely not engage this man and must run away. This man standing before you is beyond your power level right now. His name is Yuu and he is from my world and his position is one of the top Lieutenants. His power is absolute control over water. Not even your Blue sharingan can compete with his level of control. So please listen to reason and RUN AWAY NOW!**_

Naruto had to admit he was a little weary when hearing Keiko's pleas of him basically running away. He had never heard her react like that to anything before. This must mean that this person in front of him must be extremely powerful for her to get frightened so much for his well-being. Even though she herself is one of the strongest in her world. Naruto clenched his teeth in frustration as he continued to watch the relatively bored looking man now known as Yuu.

He knew immediately that he had no choice but to engage him in battle. He had in his hand someone that he came to care for recently and another that he was supposed to defeat himself another time. Naruto slowly composed his growing anger and gazed at the blue haired man calmly. He nudged his head and asked with an even tone, "What do you want with me Yuu?

The blue eyed man smirked at being called out so calmly like that. "Heh…surprising that you know my name kid. I guess it's true that Keiko is now within you huh". He busted out in a fit of laughter finding her predicament extremely entertaining. He immediately stopped his laughter when the white haired kid failed to react. He ruthlessly threw the unconscious ice kunochi away from him feeling that she had no use to him right now. "So apparently you don't find this situation funny huh. Well tell me if you find this funny Naruto-chan".

He brought the unconscious missing-nin and ruthlessly impaled the man known as Zabuza Momochi straight through the heart ending his life in an instant. The mysterious blue eyed shinobi devilishly smirked witnessing the otherwise stoic boy react in his favor. "So that did the trick huh". His unholy eyes went towards the shore of the lake and lingered on the sleeping ice kunochi. He licked his lips lecherously and spoke, "I can't imagine how you will react when I do even worse things to your lady friend over there".

Hearing that was enough to send Naruto into a blind rage realizing that if he didn't do something fast Haku would end up the same as her former master or even worse. He saw the uncaring man throw the missing-nin body effortlessly towards the girl who was thankfully still sleeping. Naruto laced with electricity sent out a barrage of fast paced kicks and punches towards the confident looking man hoping to end it quickly. However that was completely out of the question since he completely failed to land even a single hit even though he was giving it his all.

He stopped his barrage of blows and back-flipped out of the way. He gathered himself and surrounded himself with even more lightning as he exploded from view appearing right in front of the still smirking man. Naruto quickly went for the easy punch feeling that he wouldn't be able to protect against it. He was completely wrong in his assumption and was immediately blown back.

The mysterious individual known simply as Yuu was oddly laughing at the situation before him. "Come on Naruto-chan is this all you can do". He turned his confident demeanor towards the sleeping kunochi and mocked. "You don't want to see your precious lady friend over there be viscously raped by yours truly do you? This threat apparently did the trick in further angering the white haired boy.

The lightning covered white haired boy began to morph before his very eyes. His entire body was now filled with an even fiercer electricity that was quickly turning into a dark red color. It still wasn't enough apparently since for the life of him he couldn't land a single blow.

The blue eyed man continued to laugh while effortlessly dodging Naruto's blows like it was child's play. "I can't wait to see her face when she moans out my name while I pound her from behind. Wouldn't you want to see that Naruto-chan? I know I would love to experience it".

Naruto slipped even further in his anger now sporting a full tail while his features were becoming extremely feral. The water around the boy was beginning to part under the extreme force he was creating. He immediately disappeared from his view and swatted the scarred man from behind. Even though his speed had multiplied and had managed to land a couple blows. It apparently wasn't enough seeing no damage done to the smirking man.

The man kicked the feral looking Naruto away from him and carefully examined his transformed state feeling intrigued by his change. He witnessed another tail come out making it a total of two. He had absolutely no idea what that meant, but one thing he did realize was that whenever another one came out his strength and speed increased dramatically. The man smirked confidently wanting to see what else the kid could bring out. "Keep going boy show me what you are capable of. I know you have even more power stored in there. So let it all out or you know what will happen with that girl over there".

Naruto remained in place in a hunched manner while his two blood red tails swished behind him. While he stood there he was trying to think of a way to come out of this without injuring Haku. He realized that he was in two tailed form already and it still wasn't enough to bring down the man who as of yet hasn't shown his power. He was struggling to keep under control from the extreme anger he was feeling right now.

He hasn't really had too much experience in this state since he hasn't really had a reason to transform. The very first time he managed to transform was when he was sparring with Itachi. That was the only time that he had transformed. Now it seemed that he needed to go even further beyond to bring him down. His blood red sharingan eyes lingered on the unconscious Haku knowing what was at stake. '_Keiko-chan why are you so quiet all of the sudden. It would be nice if you could give me some ideas in this'. _

He was responded with nothing but utter silence. After several quiet moments his partner finally responded. _**'Naruto-kun I'm afraid that there is no chance of beating this man by yourself. You have to figure this out on your own. That is the only advice I can give you right now. I'm sorry about this. It's my fault that he is here right now'. **_Naruto immediately slammed her concerns surprising her at his confidence. _'Don't worry about that Keiko-chan I know I can win. After all I was trained by the best'. _

The entity inside Naruto known as Keiko could only nod when seeing his confident demeanor. It reminded her of someone she knew in the past. It was like seeing a younger version of him even though the man wasn't that old to begin with. She smiled deciding to believe in him knowing that he hasn't lost a battle yet.

_(A couple minutes earlier)_

**(Location Tazuna's compound)**

Meanwhile Kakashi and the rest were currently outside waiting for Naruto to return after being gone for so long. They were startled when they saw the skies begin to darken and lightning began to stream across the heavens. The one eyed man knew something was happening that most certainly involved the white haired boy. What that was could be anybody's guess right now.

He removed his single eye from the skies and brought it towards the curious looking group and informed them of his game plan as of right now. "Alright guy's listen up. It seems that something out of the ordinary is happening somewhere in the forest right now".

Kakashi heard Sasuke scoff at his observation, "What gave you that idea Kakashi".

The sharingan user dismissed his sarcasms and was about to continue with his plan, but was once again interfered. This time by the blond kunochi of the group.

Ino immediately interjected with the sharingan user, "Kakashi-sensei is it Naruto-kun that's causing this? She asked feeling a horrifying sensation in her stomach concerning her white haired teammate.

Shikamaru was also concerned albeit to a lesser extent for his teammate. "Kakashi do you think he is fighting someone right now. That would explain the dramatic change in the atmosphere right". He asked since it was totally possible considering it involved Naruto.

Kakashi carefully nodded not wanting to frighten them, "Yeah I believe your right in that assumption which is why you, Sasuke, and Choji will stay here and protect Tsunami and Tazuna. While me, Asuma, Ino, and Sakura will go check things out in the forest". He chuckled seeing the disappointment in their faces clearly wanting to go with him and find out what was happening first hand.

His calm demeanor turned towards the bearded Jounin and signaled for them to move out. "You guys stay here while we go check things out. We will return as quickly as possible so your mission for now is protecting them no matter what understood".

The three males that stayed behind nodded at the sharingan user knowing the importance of their task. Since who knows what might happen in the next few hours.

The former Anbu captain smiled seeing the determination in their faces. The same thing couldn't be said for the kunochi though. Sighing he walked towards the anxious kunochi and kneeled before them to get to eye level. He gently put his hands on their shoulders and gave them his infamous eye smile trying to appease their nerves as best he could manage. "Don't worry girls I'm sure everything will be fine. So let's head out and see what exactly is happening in the forest".

Ino and Sakura managed to relax a bit seeing their sensei smile. Sakura wasn't particularly worried for the white haired boy. No what she was worried about was what they would encounter out in the dangerous forest. She had already seen her fair share of violence since fighting Zabuza a couple days ago. Now here she was voluntarily heading out straight towards the danger.

While Ino was polar opposite from Sakura. She wasn't scared at all that they would potentially be heading straight towards the danger. Somehow she had become used to all the violence and death since she began to head out to missions. No the real reason she was afraid was what she would witness when they arrived. Would she see a wounded Naruto or even worse a dead Naruto? Ino quickly destroyed that thought from her mind and gazed towards Kakashi determinedly.

The sharingan user slowly got up seeing his work in calming them down had managed to work. He turned towards the forest and signaled the team to follow him. The next thing the boy's saw was all four of them disappear in a blur. The elite Jounin wanted to arrive as soon as possible feeling a foreign energy signature right next to Naruto's own. He felt it was someone with an even more sinister chakra. This spelled out headache from the very beginning but he couldn't falter in this serious situation.

After several agonizing minutes of pure silence the crew finally managed to arrive at their destination. To their horror they were greeted with the sight of an extremely feral looking Naruto who had three tails swishing dangerously behind him. Both Jounin were extremely surprised to see a transformed Naruto. They always thought that the seal would hold, but seeing the sight before them they were completely naïve to think that way. Kakashi grated his teeth knowing he would have to report this event to the Hokage. It wasn't like he was scared that the Kyuubi would somehow come out and destroy them once again. Nothing like that it's just that he needed to report this since it was extremely important.

Asuma meanwhile was extremely awed at the sight before him. He had never witnessed Naruto so angry before. He could see his face was contorted with pure anguish. The air around them was suffocating by the amount of evil the Kyuubi's chakra was producing. He like Kakashi never thought that Naruto would be able to release the Kyuubi's chakra and use it for himself. He thought the seal was too strong for that to happen, but once again he was proven wrong.

Ino was confused seeing her crush be that way. She could immediately see the anger in his face and it made her hurt seeing him like that. To her eyes it seemed like the chakra had taken the form of the Kyuubi. She had heard whispers from the adults that the fox was sealed in a boy, but she could never get an exact name. Now before her eyes she knew exactly who that was and it pained her that it was Naruto of all people. Now she understood all the hate filled glares he always had to endure. It made her almost want to pity him but she resisted knowing it wouldn't make him feel any better.

Sakura on the other hand was completely mesmerized by the transformation regarding the white haired boy. She could feel the intense atmosphere filled with death and anger. She was shocked that she could see the chakra around Naruto had taken the form of the Kyuubi. As smart as she was she would've never guessed that it was Naruto of all people that was the Jinchuuriki. It made her doubts that Sasuke's defeat was a fluke, but now she understood clearly that it wasn't.

The sharingan user was still amazed that the white haired boy could manage to keep his cool under the Kyuubi's intense influence. He examined Naruto even closer and immediately came up with an assumption on his calmness. He could see his sharingan was in full effect most likely giving him the needed control to be able to handle the Kyuubi's influence.

Yes that was the most likely possibility. His gaze quickly caught the sight of the bodies of both the fake Hunter-nin and the figure of Zabuza Momochi. He signaled the disturbed Asuma to help him, "Asuma! Help me check the bodies out". Seeing Asuma nod the sharingan user quickly went to check on his target and what he feared the most had happened.

The missing-nin known as Zabuza was no longer on this world and was apparently stabbed straight through the heart by either Naruto or this mysterious person. The elite Jounin clenched his teeth in frustration wanting to know who had done this. He was pretty sure it was this strange shinobi fighting Naruto. On the other hand he didn't doubt Naruto could've done it as well seeing all the scorch marks most likely coming from Naruto's lightning.

He was brought out of his muse by Asuma, "Hey Kakashi this one is still breathing. What do we do with her? The sharingan user waved for both Ino and Sakura who were still watching Naruto to come care for her. "Ino Sakura do everything you can to make sure she survives understood. He saw them both nod hearing the serious tone coming from their superior.

The next moment came like a blur when he felt someone coming towards him with the intent to kill. He quickly removed his headband revealing his lone sharingan to the intruder. His eyes widened at the speed the man demonstrated. He managed to duck under the blow and kicked him back towards the lake.

The sharingan user immediately did a couple hand signs and brought his right hand down creating a loud crackling sound from the lightning emanating from his hand. He immediately realized that this man was not to be taken lightly and needed to be taken care of as quickly as possible. He was about to dash towards the man, but was unable when he heard Naruto's gravelly voice demanding he remain out of it.

"**Kakashi don't bother attacking this man. Take the girls and get the hell out of here. You will only get in my way if you get into the fight. I can handle this guy now that I don't have to worry about her". **He turned his blazing red sharingan eyes towards his superior and warned him. **"If anything happens to her then I will personally kill you understand". **He made his threat perfectly clear not wanting to mess around any longer. He would end this pathetic excuse of a man in front of him and return that was certain.

Kakashi sighed and cancelled his attack. He pulled his headband down hiding his sharingan once again. "Mah Don't be so serious Naruto. I promise that no one will harm this person. Although I do wonder why you would go so far for this person. You do know that she is the enemy right". His subtle question was of course left unanswered. The former Anbu Captain sighed once again and signaled for his team to retreat. "Alright guys let's return back to Tsunami's home. Our mission is done".

Ino immediately responded to his order, "What do you mean Kakashi-sensei. Aren't we going to stay and help Naruto?

The pink haired kunochi nodded agreeing with her, "Yeah Kaka-sensei we need to help Naruto out before we go back. I know we can do something to help him right".

Kakashi negatively nodded with their suggestion. "I'm afraid we will only get in his way if we get involved. No matter what you do it will only result in your death's. Don't get overconfident and think this is some training exercise and you won't be injured. Now carry that girl with you and let's head out before it gets too dangerous for you".

The blond and the pink haired Kunochi's hanged their head after their sensei basically told them off. Both of them looked towards the lone female that was unconscious and felt curious as to who this _'girl'_ was. They turned towards the sharingan user and asked, "Hey Kaka-sensei/Kakashi-sensei do you know who this person is. And why is Naruto/Naruto-kun so worried for her anyways? Isn't she the enemy?

Kakashi merely shrugged his shoulders and nudged Asuma that they were leaving. "Don't ask me you guys. I'm in the same boat as you. I have no idea what has happened between Naruto and her in the past few hours. Ask him those question when he returns. So for now let's get out of here right now". Both kunochi hesitantly nodded feeling unsatisfied with his response.

However they both understood the danger around them and talking wasn't going to help their situation. The former Anbu captain brought his gaze towards the other Jounin and could see that he was worried for the kid. "Come on Asuma let's head out. Don't worry he'll make it out alive. After all its Naruto were talking about right".

The wind user remained passive but still managed to nod that he understood. He knew that Naruto would survive that wasn't what he was worried about. No it was the fact that the Kyuubi had come out and that will greatly affect his future in the village. Once it was known that the Kyuubi's influence had come out the council will have a field day with this. He was sure something would be put in place to try to handle or control Naruto and his growing power. The wind user hardened his demeanor and thought, '_There is no way I'm going to let that happen to him. It doesn't matter if he doesn't like me I will still protect him since after all I'm his Jounin sensei'. _He mentally chuckled at his self-pep talk and joined Kakashi and the rest back towards the house leaving behind both Naruto and the unknown ninja alone.

The white haired boy stood as cool as ice as he watched his teammates leave the area. He felt an overwhelming relief that he didn't have to worry about Haku getting hurt or captured while he was in battle. He had to thank Kakashi again for saving the day. He removed his gaze from the now empty shore and focused his sharingan eyes on his opponent albeit a bit confused at his calm attitude. **"Why so quiet all of a sudden? Did you perhaps reconsider in attacking me Yuu? **He knew that was far from the truth, but asked anyways. His fanged smirk quickly disappeared when he heard his opponent break out in laughter.

The blue haired shinobi immediately stopped laughing and regained his frightening serious face focusing his attention directly on the three tailed Naruto. He slowly began to sink a lone arm into the lake and smirked. "Don't be so confident in your abilities Naruto-kun. You must get it through your thick skull that you are nothing in comparison to **'Us'. **Isn't that right my dear Keiko-chan".

Naruto was now intrigued and was about to question Keiko as to why her name had been mentioned again. He assumed that she somehow had known him personally, but was interrupted from potentially getting an answer when he felt an enormous power begin to push him back. Once he had gathered his bearings he was surprised to witness a huge tidal wave coming directly for him. He clenched his now fanged teeth and tensed his entire body. He quickly released his tension and roared in pure anguish sending out a visible wave of energy completely destroying the wave in front of him.

The man known as Yuu narrowed his blue eyes in disappointment seeing his precious wave destroyed by a mere scream. "Pathetic". He quickly dipped both hands underwater once again preparing to send an even bigger one. However he was quickly interrupted when he saw Naruto disappear from view. He immediately sensed him above him and could only manage to say one word. "Fuck". He was suddenly pounded downwards by the Kyuubi powered Naruto sending him deep underwater slamming him hard against the lakes bottom.

Naruto stood calmly on top of the water gazing towards the lake sensing the man hit the bottom. He quickly did a couple hand signs putting both his hands underwater and whispered, **"Lightning Style: Voltage Explosion". **Immediately following his whisper the entire lake exploded in electricity making quiet a beautiful scene if one were to be watching right now. The white haired boy continued to send continuous lightning throughout the entire lake hoping to end the match once and for all. After a couple of minutes of silence it seemed that it had worked but he knew it wouldn't be that easy and he was correct in his assumption.

The mysterious shinobi rocketed out of the lake with numerous injuries throughout his entire body. His shirt had long since been scorched by the extreme heat the electricity had produced. He was breathing harshly now since his weakness was electricity and was literally bathed in it right now. His mouth immediately puffed up with water as he sent out dozens of baseball shaped water bullets towards him successfully disrupting Naruto's move.

Naruto easily dodged the water bullets and quickly sprinted towards the man surprising him on his dramatic change of pace. Naruto quickly pulled back and slammed his hand against the man landing a vicious blow sending him skimming through the water's surface. Naruto slowly pulled his punch back and gazed at his opponent feeling the advantage begin to shift towards him. He witnessed the man struggling to his feet after that devastating blow just now.

The scarred man was now hunched over in pain and was thinking as to how a mere kid from this world could push him so far. He slowly breathed and composed himself, "Well well well kid it seems that I severely underestimated you. I see you think that you have me at your mercy huh". He smirked and exploded right in front of a surprised Naruto. The blue haired shinobi was now literally pure water. He smirked when seeing his surprise, "Well let's get this battle over with now shall we Naruto-kun".

Naruto remained unmoving while he continued to watch the now water man. He sensed that his opponent had dramatically increased in power and was not something to laugh about. His sharingan eyes made his movement seemed like slow motion as the man made his way towards him. He breathed in deeply and calmed himself making the Kyuubi cloak disappear returning him to his normal state. His entire body was suddenly struck by lightning covering him entirely. He focused the lightning entirely on his right hand making it screech and crackle ominously. He steadily raised the power to his right hand making it scorch the lake around him.

The scarred shinobi growled at how calm the white haired boy seemed. '_Is this kid seriously just standing there? Well let's change that shall we. After all I still need to take care of his friends'. _He began to laugh manically when he thought of all the things he could do with the girls. It would certainly be a wild night that's for sure, but first things first. He still needed to wipe that smug look off that kid's face and demonstrate how inferior he is compared to him.

The calm seeming Naruto felt the sudden change in speed from the man but didn't let that concern him whatsoever. He brought his lightning coated arm towards the water making it fizzle from the sheer intensity of the voltage. He suddenly blurred from view heading straight for the lecherous looking man.

The blue haired shinobi saw the kid disappear from view and to his horror was right in front of him the next moment and couldn't stop the inevitable. Even though he had gone far past his limit for a mere kid it still wasn't enough. The last thing the water shinobi saw was his own defeated face in Naruto's sharingan eyes.

The white haired boy calmly sent his lightning infused hand straight through his heart. **"Chidori! **His arm exploded in a branch like manner electrifying the man even further.

The man known as Yuu quickly returned to his original state and began sizzling from the heat. He knew he had been defeated from the way his breaths were becoming harder to take in. He brought his lifeless dark blue eyes towards the white haired kid and smirked when seeing the calmness in his face. He had honestly never seen someone so calm even though they had just killed someone. Well if you didn't include Kurai that is.

He shivered remembering how terrifying his master had looked at the time. He weakly grabbed Naruto's impaled hand and began to tremble feeling his life quickly fading away. He chuckled through blood stained teeth at his situation not at all expecting that it would end this way for him. His initial plan was that he would come here and take care of him and maybe destroy the village nearby and head back home. That however was impossible now huh.

The powerful Lieutenant coughed out blood indicating his end was near. All he wanted to do right now was go to sleep, but he knew what that would entail. He decided he would leave the boy with some warning considering he had defeated him fair and square. "Heh it seems that you managed to defeat me after all kid". He quickly went into a coughing fit spitting out even more blood. "You must realize that this world is bigger than you think kid. There is so much going on out there and not knowing is dangerous. So…continue…to get…stronger. B-because…*wheeze* believe me there is many others like myself that simply want to destroy. *Cough*…*Cough*…. And they are way stronger than I am". His breathing was becoming haggard and rough, but the dying shinobi continued to warn the white haired boy.

His body was beginning to shut down and only wanted to do one thing….rest. Only managing to open a single eye he continued his warning. "Naruto they will eventually come to kill you when they realize I haven't returned and was killed by you. So prepare yourself or you will die like all the rest….nameless and forgotten". He went into one last coughing fit and managed to somehow smile at his situation. The last thing the water shinobi managed to say was so low that he almost didn't catch it, "Goodbye Keiko-chan I'm sorry for all the troubles I caused you. I will dearly miss you my dear little sister".

The body impaled on his arm quickly disintegrated into water particles dropping into the lake. Naruto stood frozen after hearing the last bit of information, "Keiko was this man that I killed your brother? He wasn't answered and his partner remained silent meaning that his assumption was true. The white haired boy couldn't linger on the thought as he quickly fell on one knee breathing hard from exhaustion. His sharingan slowly reverted back to his normal blue eyes feeling the drain for the first time in a while.

His shirt had been long since shredded to pieces from the fights he had just been in. Thankfully this jacket wasn't the one that Maki had gifted to him. The only thing that could be seen on his chest would be the necklace that Tayuya had given him and the one Chi had gifted to him. He pounded the water's surface feeling frustrated that he couldn't keep his word to Haku. He was concerned as to how she would react to the news that her master had been killed. He knew Zabuza was strong but this person had killed him so easily.

He was disturbed by the warning the man had given him. He said that they were even stronger than him and they would be coming to him at any time. He clenched his fists in anger feeling that he needed to get stronger if he wanted to stand a chance against all his future enemies. It was only by luck that this person happened to be weak against his lightning. He knew that he wouldn't be so lucky next time. He suddenly felt an excruciating pain in his eyes that seemed to last for an eternity. The pain finally subsided knocking him unconscious near the shore.

_(30 minutes later)_

**(Location Lake shore)**

The crew that consisted of the Uchiha, the Nara, and the Akimichi had finally arrived at the scene of an unconscious Naruto near the shore. Shikamaru and Choji ran towards their comrade and sighed in relief confirming that he was still alive. The lazy genius waved to the Uchiha of the good news. "Sasuke, Naruto is alive so it's all good. Come over here and help me and Choji carry him back".

The raven haired Uchiha was too absorbed with the scene before him to hear his teammates clearly. He was amazed at the state of the lake before him. They were numerous frozen spots all across the lake and countless scorch marks as well. The trees around the lake had been shredded and burned from the previous battle. He was snapped out of his state of mind by his teammates yelling at him. He brought his black eyes towards the scene and gasped at the image before him.

Both Shikamaru and Choji gasped in shock at the enormous seal that was tattooed all over Naruto's body. The lazy Nara carefully examined the seal trying to get some important information about it. That resulted in utter failure since for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was meant for. He looked towards his best friend and saw he too had no idea what this meant. The genius of the group waved for Sasuke come check this out, "Sasuke come check this out. It's crazy that Naruto had this thing all along hidden under his clothes". While Sasuke made his way towards them he began to wonder if Naruto had a reason to hide this from them.

He could only imagine what his teammate had gone through. It made him boil in anger that he couldn't do anything to help him out. When they saw Kakashi return with the people they were supposed to defeat for their mission he was confused. When he learned that it was Naruto that had defeated them and he was still facing off with someone stronger. That was when he confirmed that his teammate was something special. It made him feel inferior when he was near him and didn't know what to do about it. No matter what he did he would never be able to catch up with him now.

He wasn't the only one thinking that exact thought. The raven haired Uchiha was also angry at the fact that this kid was way beyond anything they were capable of. His sharingan came out roaring feeling the anger from their master. Even though he thought he had the advantage with his sharingan. He was once again proven wrong when he learned that this nobody also had the Uchiha bloodline. How was he ever going to defeat his older brother if he was still this pathetic?

The three of them picked up his body and carried him back to the house like they had been instructed by Kakashi.

_(1 hour later)_

**(Location Tazuna's Home)**

It had been about an hour since they had carried Naruto's body back to the compound. He was currently resting in Tsunami's room, but he wasn't alone in there. Much to the dismay of Ino the ice wielding kunochi had taken it upon herself and requested that she needed to be in there with him. Kakashi of course had immediately declined her request feeling that she could do something harmful to the boy.

Especially since she was the enemy not too long ago, but after a bit of convincing from Haku the sharingan user finally gave in and gave her permission. Not without putting chakra sealing seals on her to ensure that she wouldn't try anything to him especially in his weakened state. Haku didn't mind since she didn't plan on doing anything that would harm him anyways.

Considering he was the only one to have any sort of connection with her since her master had been killed. She was totally devastated when she learned about the tragic event that happened to her former master. She was completely heartbroken when she learned about it and honestly wanted to kill herself right then and there, but was stopped by Ino and Sakura immediately. When she heard that Naruto was still fighting the one that had killed her master she felt it was her duty to go out there and help him. She didn't want to experience another tragedy and lose him as well. If that happened she would truly have nothing to live for anymore.

She was overjoyed when she saw him return, but at the same time she was terrified that he wouldn't make it from the way his injuries seemed. He had numerous cuts and bruises all over his chest and arms. He was unconscious and seemed lifeless when being carried by his friends. Kakashi calmed her growing concerns when he informed her that he was only suffering from extreme chakra exhaustion.

So now here they were in Tsunami's room that contained the ice wielding kunochi and the lightning wielding shinobi. The modest sized room was in complete silence except for the soft breathing coming from the sleeping Naruto. Haku was sitting right next to him peeling an apple feeling like she had to do something for him. Since she was good at making stuff like food she decided to peel him an apple to eat when he woke up. Which if her instinct is correct should be anytime now since he had been asleep for a couple of hours now. She placed the peeled apple in a small basket and put it on top of the nightstand beside the bed. She sighed in frustration feeling helpless once again to do anything.

Her gaze lingered at his shirtless figure and was intrigued on what those seals on his chest were for. They seemed to be extremely complex and dangerous at the same time. She hesitantly reached her slender arms towards his body but was quickly intercepted by Naruto himself that had awakened.

Naruto weakly smirked at her curiosity and felt the need to tease her about it. "I didn't know you were like that Haku-chan. Trying to take advantage of me while I'm vulnerable. Naughty Haku someone should teach you some manners".

The brown eyed kunochi turned bright red from his accusations at how he described her. She quickly tried to redeem herself, "N-no that wasn't my intention at all". She shouted at him but was confused by his disappointed face.

Naruto sighed and released her soft hand from his firm grip, "Yeah I know that Haku-chan. I was only teasing don't take it too seriously". He managed to get up after a bit of struggle from his injuries and was surprised at the peeled apple in the basket. He smiled softly and retrieved it taking a nice bit out of it. "You didn't have to do this for me Haku-chan, but thanks anyways".

Haku nodded and looked away not knowing how to react since she hadn't really been praised by anyone for something so trivial. Sure Zabuza praised her sometimes at her combat skills, but never for something so small.

The white haired boy became serious, "Sorry about Zabuza Haku-chan I know how much he meant to you".

The browned eyed kunochi quickly got teary eyed realizing once again that she had lost her only purpose in life. She was startled when she felt his warm hand on top of her own.

Naruto had rested his own hand on top of Haku's knowing how hard it was on her. After all he had gone through it many times before. He smiled trying to cheer her up, "I killed the one that killed him. So I'm sure Zabuza would be happy that I took care of him".

Haku bitterly smiled not really knowing all the details surrounding his death. "N-Naruto how did Zabuza-sama die exactly?

Naruto removed his hand from hers and deeply sighed not wanting to remind her of such a painful event. He brought his confident blue eyes towards hers and gazed seriously into them. "It isn't pretty Haku-chan so prepare yourself. To put it bluntly the man I fought had both of you in his hands unconscious. Fortunately he threw you towards the shore, but he pierced Zabuza right through the heart as an example of what he was capable of. I know this is cruel, but I'm thankful that he chose to kill him instead of you". He clenched his fists not wanting to think about the things he would've done if he had succeeded in defeating him.

Haku was in tears by now when being told the way her master was killed. She didn't know how that man managed to find them so easily and put them down like they were nothing. She was angry with herself that she was once again defeated like nothing resulting in her master death. After all her training she was still weak to do anything meaningful.

Naruto saw her tears and was saddened that he had once again made her cry. He sighed and got out of bed making his way towards the open window witnessing the sun peek through the oceans horizon. "Don't cry Haku-chan. I'm sure Zabuza wouldn't want to see you in such a pitiful state. I sure don't want to see it". He removed his gaze from the window bringing it towards her. "Haku I offer you once again to join me. If you so desperately desire a purpose in life then become my partner. Protect me from harm like you had done to Zabuza and become my friend".

Haku didn't know what to think when hearing that she was given another chance. She thought it was a cruel joke thinking that she would never get another chance. Could she really just accept his offer and make it her duty to protect Naruto. It's not like he needed any protection from the way he handled himself. She gazed towards her hands as they began to tremble at the new opportunity presented to her. Her eyes had begun to well up with tears once again as she brought them towards a calm looking Naruto who was still waiting patiently for her answer. Haku darted towards him not wanting to let this chance escape her grasp and was embraced into Naruto's bare chest.

Naruto was happy that she had accepted his offer and returned her embrace even tighter not wanting to let this moment escape him. He felt warmth when he hugged her and it was something he dearly missed. It felt like he had finally found someone to share his pain and happiness. "Thank you Haku-chan for accepting. I honestly didn't know what I would do if you declined. Thankfully that didn't happen". He continued to sooth the crying Haku who was overjoyed that she had found her new purpose in life.

After several intimate moments passed her cheeks began to heat up realizing how close she was to him. She quickly pushed herself away from him surprising him at her sudden release. She saw his confusion and quickly explained not wanting to hurt him. "I-I'm sorry about that Naruto-kun, but I didn't realize you were still shirtless". She pointed towards his torso that was lacking a shirt.

Naruto looked towards his chest and realized that his seal was in full view to her. He chuckled and quickly grabbed his usual attire quickly hiding it again. He knew that everyone had seen it by now, but that didn't mean that they knew what it was and that's the way he would like to keep it for now. He quickly composed himself and waved for her to follow him out of the room. "Come one Haku-chan let's get going I'm sure everyone is worried about us".

Haku managed to nod and followed him out the door knowing as well that they would be waiting for him to come out.

The crew was currently enjoying their breakfast even though the atmosphere was a little tense. They knew that the enemy was currently with Naruto and they didn't really know what to think about her. They were snapped out of their tension at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. The crew was greeted with a fully recovered Naruto and the girl identified as Haku close behind him.

Naruto flashed them a small smile appeasing their concern. He quickly turned towards the sharingan user known as Kakashi and waved at him to come over.

The former Anbu Captain nodded and excused himself from the table not failing to catch the glares coming from them. He quickly dismissed them and walked towards the both of them which had decided to take a seat away from the table. He took his seat beside them and asked, "So what did you want to talk about Naruto. I'm sure it concerns her right". He brought his aloof gaze towards the kunochi knowing that he was right in his assumption.

The white haired ninja nodded, "Yeah but could you do me a favor and remove that seal from her". Naruto asked knowing that Haku had a chakra suppressant seal placed on her. Kakashi nodded and quickly removed it from her.

Seeing this Naruto continued, "I want to bring her with me to the Leaf Kakashi. Now before you disagree get it through your head. She isn't the enemy anymore".

The sharingan user did not look too excited by his request. "You know I can't allow you to bring a missing-nin voluntarily through our village gates. Unless you intend to bring her in for the reward which I highly doubt".

Naruto remained impassive not caring what he said too much since he was going to do what he felt was right anyways. "If you don't agree then I'm afraid this is where we say our goodbyes Kakashi".

The elite Jounin narrowed his eyes not believing what he was hearing. "And go where. You can't simply leave Konoha Naruto. You will be marked as a missing-nin and will be hunted down relentlessly. Do you really want that to happen?

Naruto quickly activated his sharingan and began producing electricity proving that his threat was completely real. "I suppose you are going to stop me from leaving Kakashi. I'm just asking to bring her to the Hokage and I'm positive that he will agree and give her a position in the village".

Asuma and his team immediately reacted and stood up feeling the threat in the room building. The same went with Kakashi's team not too sure what was happening with the both of them right now.

Naruto sensed Haku immediately jump besides him glaring at all the potential threats. He put a hand in front of her meaning that it was ok. The white haired teen continued gazing at the aloof looking Kakashi not sure what would happen. He was confident in his abilities that they could escape or fight if they needed to.

Kakashi sighed feeling all the hostile feelings around him. He waved for them to stand down seeing this was meaningless. Well mostly his own team since he was sure that Asuma's team would be behind Naruto all the way. "Calm down guys nothing's going to happen today. We are just discussing something that's all". He felt his team settle down and reluctantly continue to eat. He didn't want to trouble Tsunami who had been nice enough to make them breakfast.

He looked back towards the white haired teen and gave him his answer, "Mah Naruto calm down. I will go along with your plan alright". He waved towards the empty chairs in the table and smiled, "For now let's get something to eat I'm sure you must be starving. Same goes with your friend I'm sure". The grumble from their stomach's proved his theory correct making Haku blush in embarrassment while Naruto simply shrugged.

Haku looked towards Naruto not sure what to do now. She was hungry, but she wouldn't do anything that went against Naruto. The white haired teen slowly deactivated his sharingan and gazed at her face still waiting for his response.

He gave her a small smile and gently pushed on her lower back towards the table making her blush at the closeness.

The crew saw this contact from the table and for the most part they didn't particularly care about this event. However that didn't go the same for the females of the table that saw this action and blushed at how bold he was. Tsunami was thinking to the time that Kaiza would do the same to her and it excited her every time. The pink haired kunochi was actually starting to get a bit jealous of them and couldn't help but steal a glance at how mature Naruto looked. Ino was in the same boat as Sakura was albeit more jealous since she felt that this unknown female was stealing her man right before her eyes.

Naruto merely took his seat not minding all the stares coming from the girls, but Haku on the other hand did mind and made her intention clear. That she was his nothing more nothing less. All of them ate in complete silence not sure what they should talk about. The blue eyed teen quickly finished his meal and asked Kakashi a question. "Kakashi where did you seal Zabuza's body? I'm sure you have it with you".

The whole table was silent once again at the mention of that name. Kakashi merely sighed at his bluntness and waved for him to follow him outside. Haku quickly finished her meal as well and followed close behind wanting to find out what happened with her masters body.

The former Anbu Captain squinted his eyes at the sudden sunlight hitting his eyes. The weather outside was warm for the most part making it a perfect day even though the past events were anything but perfect. He noticed the serious visage coming from them both and couldn't help but smirk at how much alike they seemed right now. He took a decent sized scroll out and laid it out on a soft patch of grass near the compound.

He made a single seal resulting in Zabuza's body appearing in a puff of smoke along with his broadsword. He looked back towards them and noticed their grave demeanor. "Well there he is. Care to tell me what you plan to do with him. I was just going to turn him into the village, but clearly this is not my decision. It's up to you to decide what you want to do with him".

Naruto nodded and gazed towards Haku knowing exactly what she planned to do with him. He did the exact seal that Kakashi had done returning the body back to the scroll. "We are going to bury him Kakashi isn't that right Haku-chan". Haku nodded agreeing with his plan feeling like her former master/Father figure deserved a proper burial.

The elite Jounin nodded already knowing what their plan was all along. Before they departed he stopped them, "Naruto when you return you are too tell me what happened between you and who that man was that you fought. There is still the matter of Gato to be taken care of so don't be late. That is all". He turned around and gave them a wave goodbye returning back into the house leaving them to their own devises.

_(1 hour later)_

**(Location desolate area near the bridge)**

Naruto and Haku were currently in a desolate location where they had decided to bury Zabuza's body. The white haired teen used Zabuza's large sword to mark his grave. He returned to a serious looking Haku and embraced her knowing how hard it was to accept his death. He had this same feeling when they were burying his friend's years ago. He thought that this sort of thing would never happen to him, but he was naïve to think that way. Death is part of life and it will always be present around them. For all he knows they could die tomorrow it was that unpredictable.

They turned towards the horizon feeling the light breeze of the ocean hitting them softy. "Haku-chan do you know where Gato is located". The brown eyed kunochi negatively nodded, "I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but I'm afraid we never really knew where he stayed even though we worked for him. What I do know though is that he would be showing himself once we had finished you off at the bridge".

Naruto nodded activating his sharingan instinctively bringing his gaze towards the peaceful seeming town. "Let's go and end this once and for all Haku-chan. We both know how much this town deserves some happiness don't you think".

Haku sensed his anger steadily building. She firmly gripped his hand calming him down. "Don't' worry Naruto-kun we will kill Gato and all his minions and we will end this for the sake of the people of this town. They have suffered enough and need to be released from constant fear and poverty". She smiled warmly gazing deeply at their hands which were connected, "I want them to feel free like I do right now Naruto-kun. Give them the freedom you gave me I believe in you". She felt his grip get stronger and she couldn't help, but smile at the happiness she was feeling right now.

Naruto brought his sharingan eyes towards her and nudged her forward. "Shall we begin Haku-chan I'm sure Kakashi and the others are waiting for us to return". He saw the ice wielding kunochi smile and nod. He turned around and brought his intense gaze towards the grave marker. "Zabuza I promise to look after Haku-chan and not let anything happen to her. Please watch over us and give us your strength as we finally end this evil once and for all". He turned around and the both of them vanished in a flash of lightning leaving behind the man known as Zabuza Momochi to finally rest in peace.

_(30 minutes later)_

**(Location Tazuna's house)**

The both of them had finally arrived at Tazuna's home after burying Zabuza and giving their final goodbyes. They were greeted with the crew gathered in the living room talking amongst themselves. Upon hearing their entrance they brought their curious eyes towards them.

Kakashi waved for them to come over and get involved in their plan. Seeing them take their seats he began. "Naruto I assume you know that Gato is coming any second now and will force himself to control this town no matter what the costs right". He saw him nod that he understood what was happening. He turned his gaze towards the kunochi next to him, "Haku do you know what kind of reinforcements he is going to come with".

The ice wielding kunochi nodded, "Yes Kakashi. He is going to be brining A-rank missing-nin that he has gathered over the years. He will use them to destroy anyone that opposes them and if need be he will destroy this entire town if it revolts".

Kakashi nodded hearing this vital information. He was about to continue when he heard an angry shout coming from the son of Tsunami that had made his presence known.

The boy known as Inari fiercely glared towards the white haired teen believing he was the cause of all this rebellion. He believed that this town was a lost cause and it was meaningless to continue struggling. They would just be cut down like the rest that had tried. His father's image popped into the boy's head making him even angrier with him. He got right in front of the white haired teen and made his point known. "Don't do anything that will result in them killing us all.

Don't think your all high and mighty just because you're a ninja. They could care less if you are one and will easily cut you down if you disobey understand. You will end the same as my idiot of a father that believed he could change this pathetic town. JUST LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM! IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU AS WELL IF YOU CONTINUE LIKE THIS! The young boy quickly ran away in a fit of anger not wanting to see them end up the same as his father.

Tsunami sighed and spoke hoping to fix this outburst that came from her son. "I'm sorry about that Naruto-san it's just that life for us has not been easy ever since my husband tried to defy Gato. As you can see it has left Inari with no hope for this town and believed anyone who defies them will only result in death like his father and my husband". The kind looking woman brought her gaze downwards not wanting for them to see her cry over the memory of her beloved. She was quickly comforted by Naruto's confident voice making everything around her disappear.

The white haired kid stood up and spoke, "I understand where Inari is coming from Tsunami-san. I too would be thinking that way a couple of years ago, but he must realize that you have got to try if anything is to be done. I will personally end this tyranny and kill them all. Nothing will stand in my way. This town will regain their freedom once again and the fear surrounding it will be lifted". He brought his gaze towards the top of the stairs where he sensed Inari was curiously watching him. "Inari tell everyone that they will be freed today. That I promise".

The young Inari gasped at being discovered and for the first time in a long time believed in someone.

The crew around him could only watch in awe over his confident words. The thought that they could do anything if Naruto was around was overpowering.

Naruto turned around and walked towards the door, "Let's go and end this once and for all shall we".

Haku was immediately behind him and the rest followed as well leaving behind Tsunami and her son Inari to ponder on what he just said.

Tsunami felt her son come sprinting down the stairs heading straight for the door. Tsunami quickly shouted quickly stopping him in his tracks. "Where do you think you're going young man? It better not be to follow them it's dangerous you know".

Inari stood strong with a rare determination in his eyes. "Mom I'm going to tell all the people in our village that our town will finally be freed from Gato".

Tsunami quirked an eyebrow not knowing what had come over him. After all he had just basically scolded Naruto in his stupidity just a moment ago. She was taken aback by the fire burning in his eyes. It reminded her of her deceased husband Kaiza making her smile at the similarity. She nodded and began to walk towards him, "Alright young man, but don't think you're going by yourself. After all you're still a little kid who would believe a brat like you". She laughed at his surprise and followed him outside to inform everyone that this town will finally be freed from Gato.

_(30 minutes later)_

**(Location Bridge)**

The entire crew had arrived at the bridge and was greeted with the bloodied bodies of the workers. This included Tazuna who had gone out without permission wanting to finish the bridge knowing it would end this poverty once and for all. Naruto sensed that he was still alive and the same went for some of the workers as well. He brought his cold blue eyes towards the man responsible for this.

The man known as Gato stood confidently with an evil smirk plastered on his face as he gazed at his handy work ahead of him. His sunglasses covered eyes met Naruto's own cold blue eyes and was curious as to who this boy was. He pointed with his cane towards the boy, "You there who are you boy?

Naruto stood frozen in place feeling his anger rising every second that passed. His voice was devoid of any emotion making his teammates and opponents cower in fear. "My name is not important right now. Just know that I will be the one to end your little charade once and for all **Gato". **

The tycoon known as Gato flinched a bit just from his voice. He quickly regained his calmness when he felt his ninja get closer to him ready to defend him and kill everyone. He fixed his black glasses and signaled for his men to do what must be done. "Go ahead and kill them all, but leave the females alive. I'm sure we could all have some fun after this is all said and done". He gave them a lecherous laugh making the girls shiver in disgust over the thought.

Naruto quickly activated his sharingan and shrouded himself with pure electricity making everything around him begin to scorch. His voice had now become gravely like before scaring the people around him except for the ones that had heard him previously. **"You will all die right here by my hand prepare yourselves scum". **He quickly disappeared shocking his opponents at his speed.

Gato's crew was now deathly afraid when they began to witness some of their friends begin to fall with no apparent cause expect for a streak of lightning passing through them. Some of them began to swing their swords and bats hoping they would land a blow on the practically invisible man. They were only greeted with even more death and bloodshed.

Sasuke was amazed at the raw speed he was showing. He wanted to experience that, but was stopped his sensei immediately. "This is his fight Sasuke don't get involved or who knows what he might do". Sasuke reluctantly nodded not really liking just sitting back.

The white haired boy had to dodge a huge fireball that was coming straight at him. It was stopped by Haku who quickly froze it and destroyed it. He returned his gaze to the man that had done it and gave him a glare. He jumped back to safety and signaled Kakashi to take over for a bit. "Kakashi keep them company for a bit while I prepare a jutsu that will end this instantly alright".

The sharingan user nodded and signaled everyone to participate. "Come on guys you heard what he said let's give him some cover while he prepares.

Naruto saw his teammates and Kakashi's nod and charge forward. He wasn't worried that much since their opponents was nothing to take too seriously. Apart from the dozen or so scum that actually knew how to perform a jutsu that is. He felt that his teammates needed some first-hand experience in actual combat since he had pretty much done everything. He saw Kakashi and Asuma handle the ninja that actually had some talent while the rest handled the generic scum.

The sky slowly but surely began to get extremely dark from the enormous amount of power he was producing. He was immediately struck by a huge lightning bolt powering him up with incredible amounts of lightning. After the dramatic rise in voltage Naruto composed himself and brought his gaze towards the fighting. He shouted towards them, "**Guys that's enough playing around. Step back it's time to end this once and for all". **

Kakashi and Asuma nodded signaling for their team to retreat and let him handle the rest. They could already sense the huge amount of power the move had and knew that if they were anywhere near them it would spell disaster.

Gato saw this display of power and was now deathly afraid that he would be killed. The rest of his men watched in fascination and horror as to what that would do them if it hit. The corrupt business man witnessed his crew begin to run away, but it was far too late to run from this now.

Naruto wickedly smirked at the power he was feeling right now. He brought his arm down and shouted **"Lightning Style: Heavens Judgment". **An enormous roar came from the heavens as a large lightning bolt struck the bridge where his enemies were instantly vaporizing them except for one. Naruto had managed to leave a single man alive.

Gato was horrified to see his entire crew of ninja be defeated in literally a flash. He thought he would be gone too, but surprisingly he was still alive. This stroke of luck would not last.

Naruto breathed deeply and composed himself over the expended chakra he just used. He brought his gaze towards the ice kunochi and nudged her to get this over with. "Haku since it was your fight to begin with you will be the one to end this joke of a man. Now go and make Zabuza proud".

Haku was shocked thinking that Naruto would just flat out kill him. She nodded and began walking towards a terrified Gato that didn't know what just hit him. The ice kunochi finally arrived and stood before him. "So how does it feel to be on the receiving end huh Gato? You will finally get what you deserved all along".

She turned her arm into an extremely sharp piece of ice and brought it towards his neck. "You should've known this was how it would end for you. Alone and afraid. I kind of pity you right now, but what you did is unforgivable. This is goodbye Gato". She mercilessly brought her ice arm across his throat slashing it wide open. She saw his small body drop dead to the ground signifying the end of the tyrant known as Gato.

Haku immediately dropped to the floor feeling an overwhelming amount of realization hit her once again. Zabuza was gone, Gato was dead, and now she was free.

Naruto decided to stay where he was knowing that right now she needed to be strong. After all was said and done the entire crew heard a large cheer come from behind them. He heard Tazuna who had been unconscious struggle to get to his feet. He saw Inari and Tsunami begin to run towards them. Inari stood in front of a bloodied Naruto and smiled as large as he could manage.

The small boy stood smiling towards him making him feel a bit uncomfortable, but otherwise happy.

Naruto simply told him, "I told you that I would free this place Inari. Now you and your mom can be free and not have to be worried about such things. So become strong and maybe we will see each other in the future".

Inari nodded feeling as though he had seen god himself bring freedom to this place. The same went with the villagers when they saw Naruto calmly speak to them.

While they were celebrating two mysterious shinobi were currently watching from the dense forest. Glowing red sharingan eyes could be seen from the dark forest while a large shark like grin could be seen as well. "Neh Itachi it seems your training went well. This brat displayed an impressive amount of power just now. Even Samehada has begun to tremble in excitement wanting to taste his chakra". The shark like figure spoke to the stoic Uchiha beside him.

Itachi was busily gazing towards his former student and couldn't help but smirk at his display of power. He knew that Naruto was proficient with lightning, but didn't expect this amount of control over the hard to handle element. He nudged for the shark like man to follow, "Let's go Kisame we must report this to Pein-sama. I'm sure he will be intrigued with the mysterious man that appeared a while ago". The shark like man known as Kisame merely smirked, "Hai, but are you sure you don't want to meet your pupil. After all it's been quite a while hasn't it? Your brother would also be very interested in seeing your face again wouldn't he". Kisame chuckled at his last statement knowing Itachi's little brother would simply attack him on sight. Itachi didn't respond as the both of them disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

**(Location undisclosed world)**

A lone shadow could be seen casually eating an apple while he gazed out the window towards the poverty stricken land before him. He was interrupted during his eating by a beautiful woman that had ample breasts that would make any man tremble in delight. That didn't go the same for the man who was eating the apple though. He saw the woman present him with a folder. He opened it wanting to know what was so important to disturb his calm before the storm. After several moments of reading the room around him immediately exploded in flames over what he had just read.

The woman with large breasts stood unfazed by his outburst apparently already used to it by now.

The man with the strange glowing red eyes scowled at the news brought to him. He brought his menacing blood red eyes towards the calm seeming female and asked. "Who is this person that is capable of defeating one of my top Lieutenants Chihiro?

The woman known as Chihiro plainly stated, "It was someone known as Uzumaki Naruto, Kurai-sama".

The man known as Kurai suddenly jumped from his window and began destroying everything in his path. Screams could be heard from the villagers at the sudden massacre that was occurring. The powerful man known as Kurai continued to demolish the surrounding village not caring whatsoever what happened to them. Several minutes had passed leaving only a burning village in his wake. Hundreds of villagers had been mercilessly killed by his hand. He brought his devilish red eyes towards the calm seeming Chihiro not believing this was possible. That someone from this world was capable of defeating one of his top Lieutenants just like that.

The woman known as Chihiro calmly asked, "Shall we pursue this man Kurai-sama?

The powerful man negatively nodded with her suggestion. "No Chihiro it is too soon to grace him with my presence. I'll just send someone else in my place". He smirked, "Yes that should provide some entertainment".

**A/N: And scene. Well that was certainly a long one as well. The voting has been closed and the winner was as I predicted a Harem. My current predicament right now would be how many to include. I don't want to add too many. I'm thinking max of 4 girls and that's it. Give me suggestions in the comments as too who should join. Haku is already in the Harem as you can see from the story. This chapter marks the end of the wave arc and the next thing on my agenda will be the Chunin Exams. Yes I know you all are as excited as I am, but be patient and it will all come in due time. So I leave you with one interesting question. What do you like about my story the most and whoevers answer is the best I will mention their names in my next chapter. Don't forget to answer the question and Review BlackCrow out. **


	23. Troubling Thoughts

_**A/N: Hello my fellow reader I bring you another chapter after what's been a long time in my book. Now this chapter is more of a filler so don't flame me if you say it's too boring. I feel it needs to be said to make you understand more about my character. So please enjoy and don't forget to review. **_

_**Troubling Thoughts**_

_(Later that night)_

**(Location Tsunami's Compound)**

The atmosphere surrounding the compound was one of honest and true happiness. Pure joy was plastered on people's faces since their small town had just been freed a couple of hours ago. The entire town's population had gathered and decided to throw a grand bash in celebration of their new-found freedom. As a group they felt that the cause for celebrating was justified since they had been liberated from the clutches of the evil and cruel tyrant known as Gato. That name alone when mentioned around the town's folks used to bring chills. Now it only brought pure anguish when mentioned. They would never be oppressed again by that man and felt that life in their small town would change dramatically towards a more prosperous and happy direction.

The bridge builder known as Tazuna had informed them all that the bridge would finally be completed. It would still take two full days of manual labor to finish since they had run into some unexpected problems along the way. Well to Tazuna it wasn't really a surprise, but to his crew it was really a shock. Anyways the folks that resided in the Land of Waves hoped that with the bridge coming to a completion trade would finally begin to flow into their town. As a result of the completion of the bridge poverty would be a thing of the past as time passed by.

This dream was reinforced when Tazuna had promised them that with the bridge complete the state of the town and it's residence would forever change for the better. Now that Gato was gone from their lives their plans for a better future for all of them could finally become a reality. It would no longer remain a distant dream like they once believed. Now that distant dream they had would become a reality and happiness would flow into their town once again.

If you would've told them that this town would be freed someday they would merely mock you over your naïvety. They had already witnessed someone who was beloved in their town stand up to the tyrant Gato and fall. From that day forward they knew that hope for their town was far from achievable now that Kaiza was gone. He was the only light that peered into the darkness that covered their town. That light was quickly extinguished when he was executed like he was nothing, but wasted space. That image was simply too much to handle for the weak-willed villagers. However if you mentioned that now… then they would give you a warm smile and bow their head knowing that those words were the truth.

The dream that the beloved Kaiza had tried to meet and was killed by defying Gato was finally before them. This sensation of being freed was all thanks to the great shinobi that blessed them with their good graces. Though if you asked them personally who really deserved this title then they would all point towards the real hero of this town. Uzumaki Naruto of course.

The boy who made all this possible with his bottomless strength and his fearless attitude. They all witnessed this young man make short work of Gato and his goons. When they first heard from Inari that they would be freed they merely laughed at his face at being childish. However they gave them the benefit of the doubt and went along with his words. Their eyes would forever remember the scene of the battle that resulted in their freedom.

They honestly believed that they were witnessing a God being born. In their civilian lives they had never seen such strength and power come from someone so young. His demeanor was cool and his resolve never seemed to falter. They were witnessing a true hero be born. They would never forget his name since they knew that his name would be mentioned around the entire world. They could already foretell that this boy would become someone of great importance. Perhaps this boy would change the entire world and bring change that was much-needed. Only time would tell now.

All though that great hero was nowhere to be found now making his teammates wonder where he had wandered off to. When his teammates had asked where he had gone off too. Well it was mostly Ino that did the asking around part, but Shikamaru did his fair share as well. She asked the villagers if they had seen him around and the only answer she would receive would be a negative nod.

After some time she gave up and decided to ask Kakashi who was blankly staring at a suspicious looking book. She cleared her throat snapping the silver-haired man out of his mindset gaining his attention. "Kakashi-sensei do you know where Naruto-kun is. I have searched for him all night and I simply can't seem to find him. Did he tell you where he would be going?

The silver-haired Jounin slowly closed his small book and stored it into his small pouch. His eyes drifted from the book towards the blond kunochi and simply gave her an innocent smile. "I'm sure he will show up some time Ino. So don't worry about him and enjoy the party for now alright". That answer was apparently not what Ino was looking for seeing the scowl on her face flare up.

"What kind of answer is that Kakashi-sensei? Aren't you worried about him I mean come on one does not simply disappear right? Her shoulder drooped significantly realizing that he was completely ignoring her. She exhaled a heavy sigh and dragged her aching feet back to the table where everybody was at. After some heavy trudging she finally arrived at the table and plopped herself down next to the pink kunochi known as Sakura.

Sakura's bright green eyes drifted towards Ino catching her depressing slump. "Ino what's the matter? Did you find anything about his whereabouts? The silence answered her simple question earning a sigh out of the kunochi. "Listen Ino I'm sure Naruto is just relaxing somewhere and will show up eventually. You should know that his personality doesn't really fit in with loudness of the party right". Her statement apparently did the trick when seeing Ino nod in understanding.

"Y-yeah I'm sure your right Sakura. He's just getting some fresh air to get away from all the noise. I should've known better".

The rest of the crew watched as they fussed over Naruto's whereabouts. Sasuke decided he would voice his thoughts to them. "I'm sure Naruto is off killing something somewhere. He isn't normal you know".

This statement earned him some glares by the kunochi's mostly by the quietest of the group. Haku wasn't that worried to begin with, but now that they were talking about it she was wondering as well where he had gone off too. Giving Sasuke one last glare she swiftly stood up from her place and began her search.

While they saw her walk away the raven haired Uchiha added, "It seems like the slave has gone to find her master. How predictable". The next thing he knew an ice cold object could be felt piercing dangerously near his throat.

The ice wielding kunochi had overheard his insulting words, "Care to say that again boy". Sasuke had already activated his sharingan feeling the seriousness in her words. He was silently preparing some hand signs ready for battle. The tension was quickly broken when they both felt the presence of their sensei diffusing the situation immediately.

The silver-haired Jounin swiftly pulled away Haku from Sasuke not wanting to make a scene at the party. "Settle down you two. You should know that there are innocent civilians around and if you start throwing jutsu around they could be injured". He nudged his head slightly towards Haku, "Haku go and see if you can find the hero of the party. I'm sure you're wondering where he went so I'm tasking you in finding him alright". Seeing an immediate nod from her his gaze drifted towards Sasuke, "Sasuke stop acting like an asshole for once.

Don't provoke people who could easily kill you if they wanted to". Seeing his attitude linger went on an added another piece of advice. "Perhaps you want me to mention this little spat between you two to Naruto. I'm sure you realize that Haku means something to the boy. Nothing good would come if you anger him right". This apparently did the trick seeing his small smile instantly disappear picturing an angry Naruto.

He chuckled when witnessing the entire table begin to picture an angry Naruto and apparently it wasn't a pretty image. He couldn't blame them really since he wouldn't want to face a pissed of Naruto himself. Seeing his work finished he began to walk away deciding to wait for Haku to find him. If she didn't return then he would personally find him himself. How hard could it be to find a white-haired boy right?

_(30 minutes later)_

**(Location Rooftop of Tsunami's Home)**

The vibrant full moon could be seen glimmering against the calm ocean waters across. A young white-haired boy could be seen watching the radiating full moon above him. His bright cerulean eyes shined through the night sky as he continued to observe the star filled sky with seemingly a lot on his mind. The boy known to all as the hero that liberated their oppressed village. The boy known as Uzumaki Naruto could faintly hear the pleasant rhythm coming from the celebration held for them, but specifically for him.

He had mingled for a while to see what kind of feeling he would get when being surrounded by so many thankful people. Even though he enjoyed all the praise and gratitude from the villagers he came to realize that it quickly became tiresome. He began to grow uncomfortable by the extreme amount of affection the villagers were displaying to him.

He didn't really despise being treated like a god worthy of being worshipped and praised. The thing that really bothered him the most was that he believed he really hadn't done something that impressive. Of course he saved the town from poverty and from being controlled, but if you really delved deeper into the situation at least to him he really hadn't done something that warranted this much attention.

He simply had completed his mission by killing a powerless man who thought he could just trample on people's happiness. Scum like him had no real power to speak of literally. All he really had was the money to buy people desperate enough to even consider working under someone like him. Hell even the lowest of his men could've easily brought him down if they actually bothered to. Of course they were too entranced by the amount of wealth Gato had. They would literally do anything just for a sliver of his wealth.

What he would've really preferred would be to be viewed as the unseen hero that was hidden in the darkest shadows. Instead of being praised and exhibited in front of the entire country for the world to see. He realized that as soon as he left this town the news about his deed would spread like wildfire across the entire nation. He did not want that kind of attention yet considering he still had so much to work on and so many enemies left.

He knew that Kakashi and Asuma and the girls had seen him in his Kyuubi state and assumed that his life would likely become more of a headache. Not that he really cared if that happened to be the case though. His life has always been that way since the very beginning. It really wouldn't be much of a change from before.

His concerns lied in the fact of how Ino would react to him when they started missions again. Had she accepted what he was when witnessing his transformation? Or would she be afraid of him that he would snap and harm her? That possibility was greatly unwanted in his mind. However if that was the case then he felt that it would be better to separate himself from his team as soon as he was capable. That way nobody would end up hurt in some way or another.

Another concern would be how the council would react to the news. Would they simply ignore it or would they try to cage him inside the village like they had done to Maki. If that prediction did actually come to fruition then he would have no other choice than to leave. The option of simply leaving the village sounded better at the time, but now that he was responsible for Haku's well-being he wasn't sure about it now. He absolutely did not want to put her in any sort of danger or struggle while she was with him. If they did end up having to make a break for it then he knew that they would send a formidable squad of Hunter-nin to capture them.

His cerulean blue eyes hardened at the thought of his friend being injured as a result of something that was his problem to begin with. He had already made her cry many times before he didn't want to make her life any harder than what it was already. He considered the ice kunochi someone special in his heart. A good friend he would say. She had felt the pain of what it was like to be alone and afraid. By what he had seen he knew that her only purpose to continue to live on this world was solely to protect her former master Zabuza. Likewise his only purpose in life was to get as strong as possible so that anyone under him wouldn't come to harm.

That goal was stronger than ever since he had just made a new friend that would need his protection one day. She was someone who he would do anything to protect no matter the challenge or risks there were. Now the original goal that was passed on to him by his mother was still there albeit to a much lesser extent. There were still so many questions revolving around that goal. Like who exactly was this Madara Uchiha person? His mother only left him his name nothing else.

He also had many question revolving around his mother. Was she really his mother or was she someone else entirely. Sure she gave him his powers, but that didn't prove that they were related. Those questions always plagued his mind and he swore that he would find someone who had those answers that he so desperately needed to close the hole in his yearning heart. An agonizing feeling suddenly attacked his mind making him shudder and grab his head as his mind flashed back to the painful memory of his friends' final breaths.

_(Flashback)_

**(Location Konoha Hospital)**

_Naruto was greeted with a pale seeming Maki that was hooked with endless amounts of machines constantly checking on her well-being. He was horrified at the scene before him and never in his life did he imagine he would see one of his precious friends in this pitiful state. _

_The red-headed kunochi somehow sensed his familiar scent and while struggling to turn and face him somehow managed. She brought her lifeless eyes towards him and gave him a weak smile. If she was in normal condition she would've jumped up and hugged him for returning safely, but sadly that didn't seem possible now. While obviously strain Maki still managed to give him a weak smile. "Hey Naruto-kun I see you have returned like you promised". She quickly went into a coughing fit, but managed to recover. "I'm sorry I look horrible for you're welcome party. I'm sorry I failed you in protecting Chi like you had entrusted in me. I'm sorry that I won't be there to see the future with you. I'm sorry for not being there enough. I'm sorry for not being a better sensei like you needed. I'm sorry for everything Naruto-kun". _

_She quickly busted into tears at her farewell and her realization that she would not be able to oversee Naruto's growth and be a part of it like she had dreamed countless nights when she met him that night. _

_The white-haired boy's chest felt extremely heavy at the scene that was unfolding before his very eyes. He felt his throat begin to lock up, but he still managed to ask her a simple question. "__**Who did this to you? Who was responsible for causing you this pain Maki-chan?! **__His sharingan was blazing full blast desperately trying to find and break this terrible nightmare that he was in. If only that were true. _

_Maki gasped when seeing his sharingan and was amazed that he somehow awakened it. Knowing her time was nearing she felt responsible on answering his final questions. She began to violently cough out more blood into her palm and seemed that she wouldn't be able to answer his questions. She managed to recover and continued. "N-Naruto-kun…Please…don't seek out revenge over me…*Cough*…I don't want it to consume your life". _

_Naruto continued to listen to her dying pleas while tears began to form in the corner of his eyes. His voice failed to hide his anger and sorrow, __**"Who did this to you Maki-chan? **__His entire body was enveloped by the similar shield of electricity, but this time the color was blood-red. _

_Maki bitterly smiled knowing that he wasn't going to relent from this so gave him an honest answer before she passed on. She brought her lifeless eyes towards his sharingan eyes and spoke, "It was ordered by Danzo…Naruto-kun". _

_Naruto nodded wanting to go and find this Danzo person and kill him mercilessly, but was pulled back by a dying Maki that kissed him. They finished their deep kiss and saw her gently smile, "For the longest time I have always dreamed in doing that Naruto-kun, but I feel at peace now. My only regret is not being able to be near you when you grow stronger and become someone who everyone looks up to. Whatever you end up doing in the future just know that me and Chi will always __**Love you**__ Naruto-kun". _

_(Flashback end)_

The flashback finally ended as he tried to readjust back to his surroundings. He had no idea why those sudden memories flashed before his eyes. Remembering that moment brought him extreme sorrow in his heart. The sadness and anger that he had held for so long was quickly rising as it reminded him of his greatest failure. The protection of his precious friend. The person that actually accepted him and trained him. She was his first friend and he would never forget that.

Perhaps that flashback was to remind him of what needed to be done. He needed to find Danzo and destroy him immediately. The mere thought of that scum who was still wandering the world free made his blood boil with insurmountable rage. That man was responsible for the deaths of his friends. He was the one that guided him towards the path of revenge.

He was the root of all this pain in his life. He would often be plagued by the possibilities if he simply had never bothered of asking the old man at getting a sensei. Would Maki still be alive to this day if he never bumped into her at the laundry mat? Would Chi have somehow found some loving parents to take care of her if he never had found her? Was his involvement with their lives the beginning of the end for them? These horrendous thoughts of doubt swirled in his mind every waking moment of his life.

As the years passed by he had managed to somewhat control these impulses of anger and regret and thus far hasn't had any serious meltdowns. After the series of battles he had gone through he started to notice that his body hadn't exactly calmed down from the experience just yet. The most uncomfortable and major problem about this whole situation came from the noticeable amount of pain his eyes had been in for the past several hours. Really ever since the conclusion of his latest battle with Gato had the pain really flared up. He didn't really know what the reason for behind this nagging pain since there were so many variables to consider. That didn't mean that it wasn't there in all its painful existence.

He concluded that the pain only got worse when he actually tried to activate his sharingan. Only then would the troublesome pain return full force coercing him to deactivate them quickly and ease the grinding pain that he felt. It wasn't as if he was completely unable to bring them out on command. Though considering the pain they brought him every time he tried to he decided he would rather avoid doing so all together. He pondered whether he should mention this pain to anyone or if he should simply keep it to himself for the time being. He didn't want to mention it to Haku risking making her worry over something that even he didn't know about. The way he saw it was if the pain evolved into something entirely different only then would he do anything about it. At least that was his plan right now.

Even though he wanted to keep his pain a secret he felt that Keiko knew about this feeling considering she was literally inside him. However he wasn't exactly positive about his assumption since she had apparently decided to go silent right after the conclusion from his battle with Yuu. After that he didn't even attempt to talk to her about it knowing that it wasn't his place to interfere if she didn't reach out to him directly. After all everyone carried secrets within them. That they would rather bury in the deepest corner of their hearts and be forever hidden from everyone.

He exhaled a deep sigh mulling over the information he had been given when he fought the rogue shinobi known only as Yuu. He gathered that he was apparently from Keiko's world wherever that may be. The news that he had given him was highly worrisome and if his warning did in fact hold any truth to it then he needed to increase his training immediately. As it is it was by pure luck that his opponent that night had a major disadvantage right from the start of the battle. Even then it still took an incredible amount of power to finally put him down once and for all.

That experience was honestly one of the toughest fights he had ever been involved in. Even though it was tough it still pales in comparison to the moment he faced his sensei when his training was complete. His calm and powerful sensei known now to the world as the cold-hearted killer that caused the massacre of the Uchiha Clan. He knew better though that certain circumstances forced his hand to do what needed to be done that night.

Uchiha Itachi was in a total different league compared to them and it made him swell with pride that he was lucky enough to be trained by someone of such high-caliber. He remembered that as soon as the match had begun he immediately realized that his sensei wasn't even trying and merely gauging where his power was at. That was the first and only time he came to witness those frightening eyes that would always be engraved into his mind. It baffled him that such incredible eyes had the capabilities to end the match in an instant simply by looking at them. It was truly a sight to behold.

_(Flashback)_

**(Location Konoha Cemetery)**

_The white-haired boy brought his calm face towards his sensei's own and gave him a playful smirk. "It seems to me you were finally able to achieve those eyes neh Itachi-sensei". He didn't expect to get any sort of happy response knowing that he had paid a grand price in order to attain them. He was dead right in his assumption. _

_The stoic man known as Itachi merely continued carefully watching him not even acknowledging that he had heard him. _

_Naruto's smirk quickly dissolved as he composed himself knowing that his sensei wasn't in a chatty mood considering the events that happened. His eyes twitched and his body instinctively reacted to the movement successfully blocking a heavy kick from Itachi. He quickly back-flipped out of his reach and quickly clenched his body gathering as much lightning as he could produce. He quickly disappeared from sight and shot his electric filled fist towards Itachi. His attack appeared to be successful, but his widened in surprise when Itachi's body bursted into crows. Naruto's sharingan eyes quickly honed in on Itachi's location and narrowed recognizing the hand signs. He immediately began forming the same hand signs as his sensei ending in both shouting in unison, __**"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique! **__The next moment two enormous fireballs blasted out of their mouths and collided against each other seemingly having the same power behind them. That thought was quickly thrown out the window when Itachi's own fireball immediately engulfed Naruto's own. It continued to race towards him now even stronger than before. _

_Naruto remained calm knowing that his control over fire was probably one of his weakest. He slowly closed his eyes and breathed in and as seconds passed quickly reopened them exploding in lightning as a result. The dangerous energy enveloped his entire body just in time since the roaring fireball immediately collided with him. _

_The powerful man remained calm intently observing the location where his student was hit. His eyes slightly widened at the scene before him. He smirked admiring the beautiful display his student was displaying. _

_The white-haired boy stood frozen while his lightning shield roared alive scorching the dirt ground around him. He prided himself on his master over his lightning and knew his over the element was stronger than ever. He had to admit it feel nice being able to break out his original power since it wasn't particularly the main focus of his training with Itachi. The man standing before him felt that he needed to master his sharingan first and train his body to properly handle it to its fullest potential. As time went by he felt that without his sharingan he wasn't nearly as powerful. Itachi was quick to snap him out of that state of mind and reminded him that simply having the sharingan didn't make you superior over your opponent or anybody for that matter. _

_Naruto pumped even more lightning into this body and exploded out of sight appearing right in front of a still calm Itachi who nonchalantly caught his punch and threw him over his shoulder. Naruto quickly recovered in midair and launched himself again striking the ground where Itachi was standing moments ago. The ground exploded and rippled with electricity produced by him. The white-haired teen calmly brought his submerged hand from the ground and gently put both hands together in a sort of prayer. _

_Itachi narrowed his eyes on the scene and instantly recognized what he was going to do next. He coolly launched himself towards him hoping to stop him, but it was too late. _

_The white-haired teen opened his eyes revealing his thus far never before seen Dark Blue Sharingan hastily slamming both hands towards the floor. The air around them seemed to freeze followed by the ground rapidly spreading towards him. The surprisingly prompt ice tracked down its prey and succeeded in freezing his sensei just below the waist effectively stopping him. Naruto sighed heavily after that display of power as his eyes quickly reverted back to their normal red sharingan. _

_Itachi learned from Naruto that his unique blue sharingan gave him free will over the water molecules in the atmosphere. He had so much control over water when he had it activated that he could literally freeze the entire village if he wanted to. That was troubling in itself, but what truly frightened him was the mystery behind them. Who knows what he might achieve as time passed and he got stronger. When he asked him when he had noticed he had them he just told him that it was during the time he was in Orochimaru's hideout. Since he didn't know how to willingly bring them out he decided to give up on them all together and stopped trying. _

_However he returned to them right after his friends death's feeling he needed to master them if he wanted to get stronger. Even though he trained with them intensely it still took him a bit of concentration to bring them forth. When he does succeed in bringing them out he noticed that it tired him significantly. Though when he does manage to activate them he can instantly turn anything his eyes see into ice. He could literally freeze someone inside out if he wanted to. Even though these eyes were capable of that it seemed that he wasn't that proficient with them. _

_He also learned that he didn't need those eyes to create ice since he apparently had a niche for it. His eyes just magnified his control over water and made his ice abilities something truly to fear if you were to face him. Couple with the sharingan and his unmatched control over lightning he was truly a force to be reckoned with. _

_Naruto slowly recovered his breath and walked towards Itachi who was silently waiting to release him. The white-haired shinobi slowly put his palm on the ice as it quickly receded back into his body leaving an unharmed Itachi who stood in place. _

_Naruto stepped back a bit and spoke, "So what do you think about my progress Itachi-sensei? Not bad for just two years of training huh? Naruto for the first time in quite a while showed some sort of happiness in the form of a tiny smile. This moment was very rare indeed since he was mostly serious in front of people and would only truly pay attention when it came to him getting stronger. _

_Itachi remained as impassive as ever, "I'm impressed with your skill over your elements. Who knows in time you might even surpass your sensei. Wouldn't that be a sight to see Naruto-kun". His gaze quickly hardened and his sharingan morphed into the Magenkyou whispering, __**"Tsukuyomi". **__That single phrase was enough to trap the unsuspecting boy into his world where he made the rules, where he controlled who lived or died. This was his world, his domain, his power. _

_(Flashback end)_

**(Location Top of Tsunami's Home)**

After that display of power coming from his sensei he realized that he craved that kind of power all along. When he voiced his thoughts to his sensei while they were in their travels all he got in return was silence. He already knew what he had to do to achieve that stage from his sharingan, but honestly he didn't care what it took to achieve them. With that sort of power he felt that he would be able to handle every dangerous situation with ease. Perhaps those kinds of thoughts would be considered naïve and childish. However that didn't matter to him right now since he needed more power if he wanted to avenge his fallen friends. He felt that by killing their killers then it would finally give them the peace that they deserved all along.

There was still a problem concerning one of his friends named Tayuya. At first he thought that she had been killed by Orochimaru, but since he never found her body he began to seriously doubt whether it was true or not. He honestly hoped that she was still alive and happy somewhere in the world. It had been quite some time since he had seen or heard from her. He honestly missed hearing her mocking voice and awful mouth. Naruto's hand slowly came up and gently brushed past his lips remembering his first kiss with the red-headed kunochi. Those memories were truly joyous ones that he would always keep in his heart.

The silence surrounding the boy was interrupted when he heard the faint groaning coming from the aged wood of the rooftop. He brought his preoccupied gaze towards the sound and surprisingly found the ice wielding kunochi intently watching him. He sighed and brought his troubled eyes back facing the glimmering moon and spoke. "Haku-chan may I ask as to what brings you here while". He effortlessly brought a lone finger as it pointed towards the ground. "The grand celebration is down there you know". He frowned when describing it as such even though he was strongly against the party and was beginning to detest the mere idea of it now.

Meanwhile the kimono wearing Haku didn't particularly share in his brief humor continuing to watch the troubled teen. Her face softened a bit and answered his question. "I should be the one telling you that. After all it is your party after all Naruto-kun the least you could do is actually be there". Her gorgeous brown eyes caught his disinterest in the subject being mentioned.

She slowly made her way towards the bored looking boy wanting to figure out his reason for being so distant. "Why are you here all alone Naruto-kun? Don't you want to hang out with your friends and have fun? I know they would be happy to see you enjoy yourself for once as would I". She continued to watch him intently patiently waiting for his answer clearly concerned for his state of mind right now.

The blue-eyed shinobi merely waved off her concern. "Haku-chan by now you should realize that I don't particularly do well when surrounded by so many unknown people. Call me paranoid, but that is simply not in my nature". He sighed once again and slowly stood up from place bringing his cold cerulean eyes directing them to the town below. His cold commanding voice carried throughout the silent town echoing in the night. "Haku this town needs to realize that freedom does not just come from defeating one person. Other evil people will come once learning about Gato's demise and will want to take over after him. So tell me is this town truly free? Are these people truly out of harm's way or is it only a matter of time before it goes back to what it once was known as…**caged and frightened". **

The kimono wearing kunochi tensed when hearing her new master's cold voice. She wondered if he honestly believed that possibility would actually occur. She understood why her master would think that way since this town had always been caged. Who was she to say that the same thing wouldn't happen again? Perhaps he was right and this town was only a sitting duck waiting to be captured and ruled again. She quickly shook those thoughts out of her mind and glared intensely towards him with utmost confidence. "That will not happen Naruto-kun.

You are the one responsible for giving them new hope and the will to be able to protect their new-found freedom. Don't you understand that it was YOU that made all this possible. YOU were the one that gave them back the hope to fight back. YOU were the one that paved the way for them to regain their bright future they once had including me". She shouted not realizing that she had clenched her slim fists so tightly just from the raw emotion she was going through right now trying to make him understand what he had done for them and her.

Naruto remained impassive at her emotional outburst but at the same time felt happy at her determination about the town. However the real question still remained how she really felt at all this. The white-haired boy made his way ever so slowly towards the pent-up Haku and gently cupped her soft chin towards him. His serious looking eyes bore into her own gorgeous deep brown ones and asked the question that he really wanted to know. "Haku answer my question honestly. Are you truly happy to be working under someone such as myself? His question was blunt, but he felt it was necessary.

Haku didn't even flinch at his question and merely glared back at him with a regained flame in her eyes. "Of course I'm happy to be with you Naruto-kun. You gave me a new purpose in life and now I feel that I actually have something to look forward to in my life". She slowly pulled away from his warm touch and lowered her head while she pressed her thin arms tightly to her chest feeling a renewed happiness at her fortune. Who knows what she would've done if he hadn't come and literally saved her from her earlier life.

The white-haired boy remained silently in place carefully observing her reaction. After several moments of pondering he finally cracked a brief smile seeing her determination in her otherwise gentle face. He quite honestly found it surprising that someone would actually go so far as to say that he was responsible for someone else's happiness. Did Maki, Chi, and Tayuya felt the same way? Was he actually capable of making someone else laugh and smile?

He knew Haku strived for a purpose in life like himself. A couple of years back he was desperate for any kind of purpose and now that he had several major ones it made his goal for power all the more reasonable. Suddenly his commanding voice quickly snapped Haku out of her train of thought. "Haku would you tell me the reason why you and Zabuza traveled to this town in the first place. I don't see how someone like him could benefit in visiting such a poor town".

Haku flinched at the questioned being asked and sighed knowing it would eventually be asked. Her eyes slowly turned distant and sorrowful when remembering Zabuza's ambitious dream. "It was a very simple dream when you think about it really. Zabuza merely wanted to collect the necessary funds to be able to attempt another Coup de Tat on the current Mizukage Yagura also known as the three tailed Jinchuriki. His failure at killing him was the whole reason he was forced to become a missing-nin". She breathed in and continued. "I knew this information after I had met him while I was in the brink of death near my village.

I managed to intrigue him enough with my rare ice powers that he decided to take me with him". She bitterly smiled remembering the event, "It was the first time someone actually praised me for my gift. It made me feel something I hadn't felt in a long time. It made me feel wanted instead of being feared like all the cowardly villagers that knew I was still the same, but disregarded that fact and merely saw me as a monster that killed my own parents".

She brought her hate filled eyes towards him and barely managed to speak with a trembling voice. "H-he was like a father figure to me Naruto-kun. I know what he did was not right, but I also knew that it was necessary if we wanted a better life for ourselves. He taught me how to survive out there and trained me how to defend myself from danger. The person you see right now is the direct result of his methods. People can say whatever they want about him, but to me he was the most important person in the world and now he is gone forever and I will never be able to thank him for all he has done for me". She quickly dropped to her knees finally saying what she had kept inside this whole time.

Naruto continued watching the tear filled Haku feeling anger welling up inside of himself. He practically forced her to remember such a tragic event once again, but he felt it was a necessary pain to finally learn what had made Zabuza come here. From her story he assumed that he began working under Gato knowing that he had the necessary funds to drive his goal. Naruto knew from Itachi that Kirigakure was in a terrible place right now from the civil war that was on the brink of exploding.

Perhaps he might have to investigate what exactly is going on there when the Chunin Exams are over. He silently made his way towards her and kneeled giving her trembling figure a gentle embrace. "Forgive me for making you remember about that time again, but you must understand that it was necessary to be able to understand where you stand on the matter. Now if you truly wish to become my partner then you must know enough about me too really understand where I stand and what exactly you will be getting out of from joining my quest".

He slowly detached himself from Haku drawing a sigh of disappointment that was silent enough to go unnoticed. He brought his calm demeanor towards the star filled sky and began to tell her a bit about his past. "Haku-chan do you know what drives me forward in life? What gives someone such as myself a purpose in this brutal world filled with death? His peripheral vision observed her intently watching him wanting to understand his purpose. "Like Zabuza my goal is actually pretty simple as well if you think about it". He slowly raised his bare arms towards the heavens and in a clear voice spoke, "**Power **Haku-chan that is the force that drives me forward".

The kimono wearing kunochi stood watching her new master slightly confused on his simple answer. She understood that everyone wanted some kind of power. However she assumed that his quest for power branched from something more serious. Something horrendous must have occurred to him in the past to make him seek this goal exclusively. She wanted to know what it was that made him seek power and to what extent was he willing to go to attain it. Would he use it for good purposes or for evil ones? That simple question lingered in her mind not sure what the answer was right now.

The white haired boy slowly began unzip his black jacket that was gifted to him from Maki making Haku quickly cover her eyes in surprise.

"N-naruto-kun what are you doing? Why are you undressing now? Haku frantically pleaded with him not too sure what was going on right now. However when she slowly peered through the cracks on her hand she immediately got her answer.

Naruto slowly brought a single hand and tightly gripped both necklaces that hanged delicately around his slim neck. He slowly removed them from his neck and held them tightly in his hands while he zipped up his jacket getting a sigh of relief from the blushing kunochi. His voice was devoid of any emotion as he explained himself to the curious Haku. "Haku-chan I'm not as mighty as you might see me as right now. Sure I can put someone down if the situation requires it, but with all this power that I hold I still couldn't protect my precious friends from death".

She saw him begin to tremble at the sudden images that were beginning to flood his complex mind. She felt and saw the air around them begin to jolt with lightning coming from the emotion filled Naruto. She saw the shining objects that he had gripped in his hands and wondered what significance they had in all of this.

Naruto slowly released his tight grip on the necklaces not wanting to break them. These necklaces were honestly some of the only things that reminded him of what needed to be done. "They died because of my naïvety Haku-chan. Now my entire life revolves around finding their murderers and killing them. That is my true purpose in life. I want to give my deceased friends that gave me their lives the peace that they deserve".

He breathed in and regained his composure to be able to continue. "I know they would not approve of me dwelling over their deaths and blaming myself for it. They wouldn't accept me making it my life goal of hunting their killers, but I feel that it's the only thing I know how to do well. I can only fight and kill that is why I was born into this world". He tensed up when feeling a sudden warmth on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw a smiling Haku.

The black-haired kunochi didn't care if his purpose was to kill someone. She knew this world wasn't rainbows and flowers. This world could be cruel and cold-hearted. If you wanted any sort of happiness then you have to take it yourself. Whether or not it was by force it didn't matter to her. Her eyes drifted towards the glimmering objects in his hands and was intrigued enough to ask if she could see them. "Naruto-kun may I see them?

Naruto quickly released himself from her grip and moved away from her. He knew that she didn't have any ulterior motives behind her request. She simply wanted to see them that's all. He understood her curiosity, but he couldn't simply let go of them that easily. After a couple silent filled minutes passed he eventually released his grip and presented her with them. The first necklace he showed her was the golden one that he had gotten from Chi. He gently laid the golden necklace into her small hands and gazed at it fondly. "This one was given to me by a little girl named Chi. She saw me as her big brother and wanted to give this to me when I returned from my first mission". His fond gaze morphed into one of sadness when remembering the night he found his present.

_(Flashback)_

**(Location Naruto's apartment)**

_He would never forget her innocent looking face spouting those naïve words towards him. Her sweet voice would always remain engraved in his conscience and her warm smile would continue to haunt him for years to come. He knew all this time that she was desperately trying to make him smile or laugh whenever she had the chance. _

_It broke his damaged heart even more knowing that he would never lay his eyes on her and witness her precious smile again. Her face would take all the troubles you had and would erase them making them minuscule before her innocent smile. He would miss it dearly and just prayed that wherever they were right now they had a better life that what he could give them. _

_He brought his cold dead eyes back to reality and proceeded to climb up the stairs towards his room. His face darkened even more at the scene presented before him. His entire room was decorated to the brim with welcome banners and ribbons everywhere. They even went out of their way and had left him some presents on top of the couch just waiting to be opened when he arrived. _

_He slowly closed the door behind and lifelessly walked towards the living room couch where his presents awaited him. His eyes rested on the smallest of the gifts that belonged to Chi and decided to open it first. He slowly unwrapped the small box and was mesmerized with the small golden necklace that had his name engraved into it alongside brother as well. _

_Even though it was hard to tell…he was very happy ever time Chi would call him her brother. It made him feel that he had some sort of family even though he knew it wasn't blood related. To him it was enough and didn't mind one bit that he was called big brother. He slowly brought the delicate looking necklace towards his neck and gently locked it in place resting perfectly alongside the one Tayuya had given him. _

_(Flashback end)_

Naruto bitterly smiled retrieving the golden necklace from her warm hands. "In the end she couldn't give it to me personally". He slowly hanged the delicate golden necklace back around his neck and showed her the small silver locket. "This one was given to me from a good friend I had fortunately made during my first ever mission outside the village. I heard rumors surrounding her apparent death". He slowly opened the small locket and gazed intently at the young picture of Tayuya. "I don't know if the rumors actually hold any truth to them".

Haku peered into the tiny silver locket and gasped at the images inside of them. On one side there was a gorgeous woman with bright red hair happily smiling. On the other side there was an image of a young child with equally bright red hair happily smiling as well. She assumed that the little girl was most likely the daughter of the woman in the locket in terms of hair color.

Naruto slowly closed the silver locket and gently hanged it around his neck resting perfect against the golden one. He brought his thoughtful gaze back towards the night sky, "Now at least you have some understanding on the reason I must fight Haku-chan. I must get stronger so things like this will never happen again". He brought his cold blue eyes towards Haku's own serious eyes and asked her once again. "After learning a bit about myself Haku-chan do you truly want to follow someone like me? Someone that seeks power for revenge?

Haku merely smiled at his serious question earning her a look of confusion coming from the boy at her reaction. She slowly walked towards him once again and embraced him in a meaningful hug. "Naruto-kun if you think of yourself as a bad guy then you're a complete idiot. Everyone wants power it's a common thing with humans. However it's your purpose that marks you apart from the rest. You want to avenge your friends. You want the power to protect those near you from harm. So I will continue to follow you no matter what until you decide I'm not needed anymore. After all watching over you is my purpose in life and I'm happy with it".

Naruto's eyes widened a bit not knowing how to respond to her answer. So he simply did what was natural and returned her hug finding much-needed warmth in her slim figure. Naruto brought his gaze upwards sensing someone familiar watching them both. "What do you want with us Kakashi?

Haku's eyes widened at the mention of his name and quickly jumped out of his embrace feeling embarrassed at being caught in what looked like a very intimate moment.

Naruto didn't really care that they had been seen like that. He merely wanted to know why they had been interrupted. "I ask you once again Hatake Kakashi…**what do you want with me?** Naruto's words were laced with anger. Anger that did not go unnoticed by the silver-haired Jounin.

The silver haired Jounin lazily waved his anger away and turned his gaze towards the blushing Haku. "So it seems like you found him after all." He returned his gaze back to the angry looking Naruto and eased his concerns. "Mah Naruto I only wanted to know where you had gone to. You do realize that there is a party happening down there right?

Naruto scoffed at his sarcasm not really caring for the party now. "I do realize that Kakashi, but do you realize that I don't give a damn what you're saying right now".

Kakashi recoiled from his anger. Did he really anger him that much just by coming here or was it something entirely different. Right when he was about to question on what his problem was he saw Haku quickly grab the boy's hand and begin to run away.

The brown-eyed girl hurriedly directed Naruto to the party wanting for him to enjoy what was left of the night. Also she didn't want Naruto to get angry with the silver-haired Jounin. "Come on Naruto-kun Kakashi-san is right. You should be enjoying yourself right now instead of being here all alone. Your friends are probably wondering where you went right".

The white-haired boy nodded agreeing with her not really feeling in the mood to argue with her right now. Before leaving though he gave the observant Jounin one last death glare that promised pain in the future to come.

This left the masked Jounin all alone on the roof wondering now if coming here to go get him was such a good idea after all. "I only wanted for him to have fun while we were still here". He grabbed the back of his neck and sighed, "Guess I have pretty bad timing huh". Quickly getting over it he slowly brought out a green little book from his pouch and began to read it. The once silent night was now filled with perverted giggling coming from the silver haired man.

Meanwhile with Naruto, the blue-eyed boy was currently sitting beside the other genin as they enjoyed the party. Or at least try to enjoy it. His absentminded gaze was snapped when he heard someone calling him from the table.

The blond kunochi known as Ino worriedly asked him where he had vanished to all this time. "Naruto-kun where in the world did you go off to? I was worried sick you know". Ino clenched her jaw feeling agitated that he had no regard for the others feelings in the matter.

Naruto was slightly surprised that someone else was that worried for him. Of course he knew that Ino had a little crush on him, but he didn't know how serious she was. He gave her a brief smile to ease her worries; I was just getting some fresh air Ino-chan. You know better than anyone that I'm not used to being around so many people at once. So please don't worry anymore I'm here now". His response apparently did the trick seeing her nod in understanding. He heard a grunt coming from Sasuke earning him his attention wanting to know what his problem was.

The raven haired Uchiha smirked towards him. "I bet you were off killing some little animal out in the woods right Naruto". His cockiness didn't last when he felt his breathing suddenly become taxing as a result of being grabbed tightly by a pissed off Naruto.

Naruto was holding in the need to scream in pain over the overbearing pain he was feeling from activating his sharingan. Even through the pain he continued to gaze towards Sasuke who was struggling to breath. "Heh funny you should say that Sasuke. I'm suddenly in the mood to kill some helpless little animal don't you think".

Sasuke glared back at the white-haired boy with his sharingan activated as well displaying his second stage to all. Through gritted teeth he managed to respond, "You bastard you're not a real Uchiha you shouldn't have those eyes. Only true Uchiha are capable of mastering them your just a fraud".

This earned the raven haired boy to be gripped even tighter than before. Naruto could've easily broken Sasuke's neck if he wanted to, but decided against it this time. Not that it mattered since he felt Kakashi a mile away had quickly interrupted the brief spat between them immediately.

The silver-haired man grabbed Naruto's hand and swiftly pulled it away from Sasuke's neck. "Calm down you guys this isn't the time to be having a fight. Especially not in front of all these people. They could wind up injured or worse if you let your anger control you". His glare was focused on Naruto's since he knew that the boy was already angry to begin with and whatever Sasuke had said to him pushed him over the edge. He needed to watch him closer or risk seeing someone get injured by the unstable boy.

Naruto saw his glare directed at him and merely shrugged it off like it was nothing to him. "I get it Kakashi, but next time keep your little pet under leach and teach him to keep his big mouth shut. Next time you're not around I'm not sure what might happen then understand".

The silver-haired Jounin nodded and nudged for Sakura to check up on Sasuke. Which of course was a mistake seeing Sasuke immediately push away the pink haired kunochi not wanting any sort of help from her. He felt humiliated as it is and getting help from her would be even more humiliating.

Sasuke felt his anger begin to rise at being humiliated so easily and it was too much for him to handle. "Someone needs to keep you under leach you fucking psycho. You're the one that scares everybody here just from looking at you. So if you're telling anyone to fix their attitude just look in the mirror and you'll find your number one subject you freak".

This earned a smug looking Sasuke a chuckle which made the crew nervous of what Naruto was laughing about in this serious spat between them. Naruto merely waved off his short outburst and left the raven haired boy with something that made Sasuke recoil in disbelief. "I always wondered what Itachi-sensei was thinking when letting you live that night.

I guess he just couldn't handle exterminating the whole clan and left his precious baby brother Sasuke alive. Biggest mistake of his life to an otherwise flawless man if you ask me". He nudged Haku who was intently watching this spat between them to follow which she did in a heartbeat. "I'm going to retire for the night Kakashi so enjoy the party I know I wouldn't want it to go to waste".

Sasuke remained frozen in place over what he just overheard come from the boy. Did Naruto know Itachi somehow? He turned his bewildered face towards Kakashi, "Kakashi does Naruto know Itachi? Kakashi simply remained quiet not able to answer his question even if he wanted to. It was strictly forbidden to mention anything about Itachi and that included his training with the boy.

Sasuke couldn't let this go seeing at this was his only chance of learning anything about his brother. "Kakashi! Answer my damn question. Did Naruto meet Itachi? This earned him nothing, but silence angering the boy even further.

The silver-haired man sighed seeing Sasuke storm off not believing what he had heard. The pink kunochi followed after him not knowing what exactly was going on, but at least wanted to calm the Uchiha down.

Kakashi was still pondering over a certain portion of Naruto's little speech. Did he purposely mention that he in fact knew about the massacre to begin with? Not even he knew all the details on that day that everybody in Konoha recalled to this day much like the Kyuubi attack. He turned his head and caught the serious gaze from Asuma who nodded already knowing what the man was thinking. He needed to tell this to the Hokage immediately after they arrived since that case was still very much a mystery to them all.

The rest of the crew was carefully observing everything that was going around them. Mainly Shikamaru though. He knew something was going around that involved Naruto. He had enough knowledge to know about the Uchiha massacre, but other than that he had no clue. He turned his cunning gaze towards Ino who was still watching the place where Naruto had walked away with the ice wielding kunochi. His eyes drifted back towards Asuma who was merely gazing towards the sky apparently not sure what to think. Same went with Kakashi. The only thing that was certain was the next several days would be extremely interesting.

Meanwhile inside Tsunami's room. Naruto and Haku could be seen sitting silently in the darkness. The only thing that could be seen was Naruto's glowing red sharingan eyes apparently still bothered by what Sasuke had said. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder soothing him somewhat from his tension. Slowly he relaxed enough and deactivated his sharingan. "Thanks Haku-chan I needed that".

Haku merely nodded not sure if she should say anything else to him. She retracted her hand and brought it to her chest feeling uncertain about this whole thing. "Naruto-kun are you truly happy with being at that village?

The white-haired boy recoiled a bit at the very blunt question coming from the kunochi. Finally he let out a sigh and responded. "So you noticed huh. Well I wouldn't say I enjoy being there, but there is a reason why I must stay there Haku-chan. At least until the Chunin Exams they should be taking place in a couple of months from now. So until then I must remain in the Leaf to learn more information about someone. If I don't find it by that time then there is not else I could do but leave".

Haku hanged her head already knowing what he meant by that. "Naruto if you do leave are you taking me with you?

Naruto's eyes widened at her question and chuckled at her shyness. "Of course I will Haku-chan after all you're my body-guard right. Don't worry about that once you become special to me so don't regret it alright".

Haku sighed in relief knowing she would always be with him no matter where he went. She was snapped out of her dreamy state by Naruto's extremely serious tone.

"Haku-chan you must realize that if you're going to be traveling with me we will meet very dangerous people that there only aim is to cause pain. That is why you must continue to train to be able to handle being near me. I will personally train you a bit so be prepared".

Haku nodded and asked one last question before the day ended about someone close to him. "Naruto what will you do about Ino-san. I'm not naïve enough to not realize that she has a thing for you. Do you plan to leave her without letting her know about anything?

The white-haired shinobi remained silent letting the party music outside be the only thing that could be heard. After some bitterly silent minutes he finally broke the silence and answered. "I'm not too sure about Ino-chan. I will eventually tell her about this whole thing, but it will be she who decides what she really wants from this. I will not force her into anything, but I do care about her. She knows a bit about my situation and I can see she genuinely cares for my well-being. Same as you Haku-chan. There is still many uncertainties in the world, but with time they will all be answered".

That statement couldn't be any truer. Life was full of unanswered question and it was up the person to figure them out.

_**A:N/ And scene. Well that was another long chapter that was cut short from the original size it was before. This chapter was originally about 20,000 words in length, but I felt that was simply too long and it would bore you if read in one go. So I split it off here and the rest will be going live in the next couple days. Once again I apologize if this chapter is more on the slow side, but I promise that the next chapter will contain a surprise that a lot of you will either be shocked about or just say that you saw it coming a mile away. I did foreshadow about it in a couple of paragraphs, but it is up to you to figure it out. I'll give you a clue it's a person. Anyways thank you for reading my story and thanks a bunch for reviewing my last chapter so many times. Please give this chapter the same love and I'll see you next time. P.S. if you have any question please feel free to leave them in a form of review or pm.**_

_**BlackCrow Out**_


	24. Long Awaited Reunion

_**A:N/ Hello my fellow reader I bring you another chapter of my fabulous story. Sorry for the long wait once again, but there was nothing I could do about it. Anyways I will be opening up a poll that will let you vote on who you want in his harem. Please vote and Review.**_

**Long Awaited Reunion**

_(The following morning)_

**(Location Front of Tsunami's Home)**

The whole squad had already gathered in front of Tsunami's household having already packed their belongings the night before eager to head back home. If you were to ask every single one of them they would all tell you the same thing it had been quiet the journey for all of them and a majority of them wanted to head back home and relax. The self-appointed leader of the teams known as Kakashi Hatake was currently standing in front of the still sleep riddled students.

Clearing his throat from the morning grogginess began to speak to his students in front of him eagerly waiting for his orders. "Well what can I say to you guys it has definitely been a long one that's for sure. Finally the time for us to head back home has come. I realize that it's been a long and grueling journey during our stay here. However through it all I believe our visit here has made us learn and understand a very valuable lesson in what it truly means to be a shinobi of our great nation.

Now keep in mind that these kinds of situations will always linger within us simply from being a shinobi. Now don't get excited on getting another mission similar to this one until you are at least Chunin material and even then it's pretty rare. This situation was unique that unfortunately or fortunately however you see it you guys had to experience it earlier than expected".

The silver-haired Jounin noticed some of them release a sigh of relief knowing that it would be a while before they had to take part in another high stakes mission. He also noticed some of them mainly the sharingan users visibly shrug knowing they would return in doing meaningless missions until they graduated in rank. It was comical how the both reacted when they caught each other doing the same thing. On one hand Naruto merely smirked and Sasuke merely grunted acknowledging his reaction.

Having observed their unique reactions to the news Kakashi turned his mug to the woman curiously watching his speech to the kids. He gave her a warm smile and began his farewells. "It seems this is it for us Tsunami-san. I humbly give you my gratitude for letting us stay in your wonderful home for so long. We thank you in regards for your kindness and hope that someday we might meet again in under a more favorable predicament". The powerful shinobi bowed his head to the kind-hearted woman in front of him showing his appreciation.

The beautiful and kind woman known as Tsunami gave him a short bow as well thanking them once again for all the trouble they went through for their town. "It is me who should be thanking you Kakashi-san for saving this town from the state it was in. I don't really have anything to repay you with but the whole town promised that one day when your village is in need we will be there to lend a helping hand". She thanked them once again and waved them all a final goodbye knowing from her deceased husband that being a shinobi was a dangerous profession.

Her farewell was interrupted when a certain black-haired kid came bursting from the house behind her dashing straight through a bewildered Tsunami and sprinting towards the stoic white-haired boy who was carefully watching his actions. The kid identified as Inari looked up at the amused Naruto with tear filled eyes not wanting to see him leave so soon. "Naruto-oni-san do you really have to leave today?

Is there any chance you could maybe stay and teach me some cool tricks like you did to the evil men from before? The curious young boy basically begged him to stay wanting to learn from someone who he saw as an older brother. His audible sobs halted when he felt a firm hand on top of his head. Through tear filled eyes his hazy vision for a brief second could've sworn he saw a flash of his father's infectious smile looking down besides Naruto.

Naruto's comforting palm remained stationed on top of the crying boy's head reminding the young kid that he needed to be strong right now. "Inari listen very carefully you need to stop this needless crying and become someone strong". This act of bluntness didn't go over so well with the girls, but he didn't heed any of their reactions and continued. "You don't need my presence here. All you truly need to succeed is to believe in your strength and build on that.

I'm sure your beautiful mother and father want you to become someone who they can take pride on. They want you to protect this town from being controlled again. You don't want to witness your kind-hearted mother having to suffer every night again do you? He gave a small smile noticing the absence of his crying. Concentrating for a bit he created a decent sized sword made entirely of ice amazing everyone around him. He held the razor-sharp dark blue blade in his hand and carefully placed the blade on the boy's hands. "Here Inari take this sword that is filled with my power. This blade is special in regards that it could withstand a tremendous amount of pressure making it almost unbreakable. Use it well and protect your loved ones from danger".

Inari couldn't stop gawking at the shiny blade in his trembling hands. He could feel an ominous power swirling around the blade that seemed to meld with his own life force. It made him feel stronger just by holding the fascinating weapon in his hands. It made him feel as if he could defeat anyone that tried to challenge him. He griped the ice-cold handle tightly and with confidence swelling inside declared.

"Thank you for this weapon Naruto-nii-san I will become someone strong and show you that someone ordinary is capable of defending his people. You made me see that just crying and complaining about something will never bring the change that is necessary. You have to take action in order for chance to come. I promise that when I grow up I will become even stronger than you". Having said his bold declaration he quickly return to his mother showing off his cool new sword.

Naruto continued to watch intently over the interaction between Tsunami and Inari. The way they depended on each other made him feel a bit empty for a reason that was still lost to him. Perhaps it was the need of wanting to have experienced that kind of relationship with his own mother. He knew that was impossible and dwelling on the matter would only bring him more pain.

He erased his pain filled visage and turned back to his team waiting for him. As soon as he reached his team Ino immediately questioned his ability. "Since when did you know how to do that Naruto-kun? Naruto merely shrugged off her question like it was a natural thing. "I have always been able to do that Ino-chan". Ino stood in confusion, "How come you never told us then? Naruto once again shrugged, "You never asked". His brief and to the point answer was enough for them to accept.

The entire team steadily began to sink into the horizon of the morning sun as they crossed the completed bridge towards the docks. Behind the crew hundreds of the town's folks had gathered around sending off their heroes with loud cheers. A certain old man walked out in front of the town's folks and smiled. "So what should we call our bridge you guys?

His gruff voice carried over the entire people making them smile at the simple question. The people all looked around each other and couldn't help but break a large smile as they relayed their answer to the old man known as Tazuna. In a burst of excitement they shouted, "THE GREAT NARUTO BRIDGE!" Tazuna gave a hearty chuckle knowing they would say that and he couldn't be happier about it. This day marked the moment where a god in the making at least in their eyes was leaving their town.

Meanwhile in the outskirts of the dense forest a certain Venus type creäture could be seen carefully watching the events unfold. The white half began to speak first. "Did you see that sempai? That boy had people cheer for him isn't that amazing? The white half stated completely mesmerized at the scene before him.

The black half of the strange creäture didn't share in his enthusiasm as much. **"Will you shut your mouth already? Of course I saw what happened. I was here with you the entire time you idiot". **The black half stated in a very gravelly voice clearly not amused by his obliviousness. **"Let's report back to Madara-sama. I'm sure he would be intrigued by the events that occurred over the past several days". **The white half nodded with his more serious half and silently began to sink into the tree completely vanishing in moments.

_(Several days later)_

**(Location undisclosed camping grounds)**

The squads travel back to Konoha was almost coming to a close. The long journey so far had been surprisingly peaceful throughout. Though one could notice an obvious tension between Sasuke and Naruto. Besides that tension the rest of it was pretty serene the way back home. Kakashi had decided to rest one last time before they arrived at the village gates. They had been traveling pretty much the entire time since they had departed from the Wave. A majority of them had shown visible wear from the relentless pace Kakashi had put forth. The Jounin wanted to get to the gates as soon as possible since an important event was happening soon.

A certain white-haired boy could be seen watching the crackling fire thinking over what exactly he needed to do to get even stronger. He knew he needed much more power if he wanted to survive against even stronger opponents. Though the question that lingered on his mind was to how he would acquire that power. Did he need to train harder and get stronger that way?

Or did he need some alternative in achieving that power. He wasn't too keen about that option, but at least he knew that the pain in his eyes over the past several days had subsided tremendously. He could safely activate his sharingan with almost no pain occurring. He still couldn't figure out the cause of the pain and why it had been there in the first place. He decided not to dwell on the matter and was just grateful that it was almost all gone.

Besides the crackling sound of the fire the atmosphere around the camp grounds was for the most part shrouded in peaceful silence. Partially since the crew was sleeping in their individual tents they had packed with them. Haku was currently sleeping in his tent knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep anyways. Although she was currently asleep that didn't mean he didn't struggle with it.

The girl simply did not want to leave his side just to sleep. After some persuading though she finally relented and got some much-needed shut-eye much to his relief. Even though she tried her hardest to show that she was ok he knew even without his all-seeing sharingan that she needed some rest badly. These past few days had been exhausting physically and mentally for her. Even though he knew for a fact that she was stronger than the other genin she was still human.

Well saying he was completely alone out here would be a lie. After all two of Konoha's top Jounin known as Kakashi and Asuma were still awake as well. The masked Jounin was resting his average frame against a broad tree busily reading from a small green book. He noticed his frequent outburst of giggling and upon closer inspection he caught the title that read _Icha Icha_.

He had no idea what the title meant, but noticing his oddly placed giggles he realized it was something lecherous. Meanwhile on the other side of the camp grounds was his sensei Asuma who for the past half hour had watched the night sky while he smoked. He had been surprisingly silent throughout the entire mission to the Wave except for some casual dialogue here and there, but nothing extensive like he had done before their first mission together.

Perhaps his sensei was still mad with him for that incident or maybe he just didn't feel like conversing with him. Either or he didn't really concern himself with that situation. He brought his cerulean eyes back towards the dancing flames suddenly being interrupted by a familiar ringing in his head that hadn't occurred in a long while now.

The dark entity inside Naruto known to him as Keiko made her commanding voice heard to the boy warning him beforehand of the figure lurking in the forest. **"Naruto-kun I sense someone is watching us very closely. I gathered that this person is someone who is way below your power level, but it's prevalent enough to consider watching carefully. I sense she is somewhere near our camp almost as if waiting for someone". **

Naruto mentally agreed with his inner partner. He as well felt something incredibly familiar coming from the recess of the forest. He wasn't sure if it was something worth checking out. It could be just some random travelers for all he knew. _'Thanks for the heads up Keiko-chan. Next time though try not going dark on me for that long. Remember we are supposed to help each other right'. _

Keiko hanged her head in shame when being reminded on her purpose she had failed miserably the past several days. **"I apologize for my lack of talking Naruto-kun, but you have to understand that I too am…human. I-I couldn't deal with the loss of my brother. After some thinking however I reminded myself what's at stake". **She took a long breath following that long-winded apology and continued. **"Naruto-kun our leader is a very unforgiving and cold-hearted man who has under his command dozens of powerful people just waiting for his word. He will definitely send someone much stronger than my brother to hunt you down and kill you. So remain vigilant and do not underestimate them whatsoever". **

Naruto nodded heeding her advice but still felt that he needed a bit more information about the leader. _'Keiko-chan can you tell me what kind of power this leader has to be able to command people even stronger than your brother'. _

Keiko shivered thinking back to her former days under the man known to all his enemies as the reincarnation of the devil himself. **"N-Naruto you do not want to meet this man. He is one of the most powerful people who I know of and will tear you apart if you crossed paths. Even though I worked under him for some time I still don't know what exactly his power is. What I did gather was that it was some kind of fire ability. Even his eyes glowed red whenever I actually met him. Even with all the unanswered questions regarding the man everyone still fears him and follows him without question". **

Naruto breathed out a long sigh overwhelmed at the new information regarding someone he would most likely face in the future to come. If Keiko herself was that afraid of the man he knew that the leader was someone powerful. This fact was all the more reason to get even stronger and preferably as quickly as possible. He still had so many questions like how she had met his mother and how she was trapped inside of him. After some thinking he decided against asking so many questions so early and left them for another time. The fire continued to dance gleaming on his bright blue eyes as they continued to flicker back and forth. _'Keiko-chan do you recommend checking out this intruder or do you think I should leave it alone?_

Keiko nodded agreeing with his first option. **"I think you should at least give it a look Naruto-kun. This presence doesn't feel evil so you don't have to worry too much about it. Though I do feel some foul energy inside this person so approach with caution if you can". **

Naruto threw the lone stick into the fire watching it burn having decided he would give it a look having this nagging feeling that something about this presence was very familiar. His gaze quickly detached from the scorching flames and silently stood up from his sitting position. His eyes quickly met up with Kakashi's and Asuma's curious visages. He gave them a short disarming wave, "Kakashi Asuma I'm going for a short walk I will return shortly". The former Anbu captain nodded and returned his gaze back to his book waving him off. "Make sure you don't take too long out there Naruto. We leave in a couple of hours".

Naruto nodded with Kakashi and turned his head towards his bearded sensei who was silently observing him with a watchful eye. After a couple of moments of intense examination from the man he finally relented and nudged his head signaling it was okay. "As Kakashi mentioned we are leaving early today so don't take too long Naruto".

Naruto briefly inclined his head in acknowledgement and began to walk away leaving the light from the camp and slipping into the darkness of the thick forest surrounding them. Several minutes had passed since he had left the camp grounds on his search for the unknown intruder they had both sensed. He had gone quite a long ways away from the camp and after some moments of nothing happening began to doubt whether he was just chasing someone who wasn't even there to begin with.

His vision in the darkness was perfect thanks to Kyuubi inside of him. However his always reliable vision began to fail him when the surrounding forest morphed into an even darker black leaving him practically blind. His sharingan quickly flared up and calmly began to observe his surroundings searching for the perpetrator that caused this. After some careful searching around the forest his eyes widened at the figure before him.

Across him a shadowy figure stood frozen holding what appeared to be a flute in her visible feminine hands. The shadowy figure began to chuckle apparently finding the situation funny. "So…you actually managed to break free from my little genjutsu I placed on you. Impressive for such a cold-hearted bastard I might add".

Naruto stood frozen feeling his heart literally jump at the sound of the voice coming from the obviously feminine figure. His hands twitched and slowly slithered towards the hanging locket gripping it tightly not believing his ears. His grip on the locket slowly loosened as he let out a long-awaited sigh clearly feeling overwhelmed. "So you finally chose to reveal yourself after all this time. At least you still have that god awful mouth of yours. I guess things never change no matter how much times goes by neh Tayuya-chan". The lone name echoed around the silent forest as if the forest itself acknowledged the importance of this meeting.

The shadowy figure identified as Tayuya slowly emerged from the darkness of the forest revealing her bright red locks to the boy after what seemed like an eternity ago. Tayuya managed to hide her smile pretty well even though she felt overjoyed to finally hear his voice again that made her own heart flutter with anticipation.

Even though she felt happy at meeting him after so long the anger of not hearing from him for so long began to trickle out with a vengeance. "Shut the fuck up you asshole. Be thankful I even talk to your ugly face after you practically ignored me for 2 YEARS! What I really should be doing now is slowly cutting off your balls with a blunt knife and feeding them to yourself for your stupidity shithead".

Naruto visibly cringed at the image of that actually happening. He recovered himself from that awful image and was confused by what she meant. "What do you mean by that? You were the one that left me in the dark for so long and all this time I thought you had been killed by Orochimaru Tayuya-chan". He desperately explained to her confused on what was going on.

The red-headed kunochi was equally confused. "What the hell. What gave you that ridiculous idea that I was dead? I was waiting this whole time for you to at least send me a fucking letter. I should've known better than to wait for something that was never even sent in the first place". She spit feeling angry over his stupidity.

Naruto stood motionless in place not sure what to think right now. His face took one of concentration trying to figure this out. "I still don't understand when I visited Otogakure again I kept hearing murmurs that you had been killed. I even got a letter that stated in bold words betrayer on them. I thought they were from Kabuto how was I supposed to realize it wasn't true?

Tayuya crossed her arms under her modest chest and responded. "Hmm let me think…how about maybe doing a bit of research and actually using that brain of yours to figure out that wasn't fucking true. I always thought you were this genius ninja, but now that I think about it more carefully. You're still a kid that believes anything he hears without even investigating. I can't believe I had my first kiss with someone as naïve as you bleh". She harshly wiped her pink lips with her hands as if purging the kiss they had shared when they had said their farewells. This action did not go over well with the white-haired boy across her.

"**Enough! **Tayuya I get your point there's no reason to be so bitter about it". His cold voice immediately removed the disgusted look from her face. "I didn't realize that moment was so hard on you Tayuya-san. Next time I'll restrain myself from ever doing that again if it disgusts you that much".

Tayuya did not miss the change in suffix to her name and quickly regretted her insulting words. "I-I was just messing around with you". Her troubled gaze drifted downwards gripping her flute tightly feeling her anger rising over her stupidity. "Y-you know I don't really mean all those words Naruto-kun. I-I was just feeling angry at not being contacted for so long. It felt like you had abandoned me for something I did. It was very lonely".

Naruto's harsh stare softened seeing her confident exterior crumble before his eyes. He gave her a small smile trying to appease her. "Fine Tayuya I forgive you this time, but do try to be a little gentle with your words. I know that's the way you show your feeling for someone, but sometimes it's not the easiest things to take". He smiled seeing the always tough Tayuya easily submit when it came to hurting him. It made him remember why she was precious to him in the first place.

On the outside she was tough as nails taking absolutely no crap from anyone even himself. On the inside though if you delved deep enough there was a sweet spot that only the people she allowed inside could witness. He slowly began to walk towards her wanting to know the reason for her unexpected appearance. "So what brings you to this place after so much time has passed? Was it perhaps that you wanted to see your precious Naruto-kun? He chuckled knowing how absurd that sounded, but he wanted to milk this moment for all it was worth. Unfortunately her subdued nature did not last as long as he had wanted.

Tayuya quickly regained her cocky attitude and scoffed at his blatant sarcasm. "Keep dreaming shithead. Like someone such as myself would honestly travel all the way over here, spend countless days in the grueling cold just waiting for your sweet ass to pass by just so I can see that know it all face of yours with those creepy demon eyes. Sure that's exactly why I traveled here".

Naruto shrugged off her over the top dramatics quickly regaining his mask of seriousness asking his previous question once again. "Tayuya please answer the question. What is your purpose in coming here when you know so many hostile enemies are just a short walk away? If you honestly think you can take on everyone by yourself then I'm sorry to break it to you but your dead wrong. Kakashi could single handily kill you if you posed any kind of threat to his team. Now that's not to say I would let him touch you, but regardless this move was still a very poor one. Your offer must be really important to take the risk so speak quickly before they catch on".

Tayuya nodded knowing that he was right on every front and this time she couldn't simply dance around the subject at hand. Her cocky attitude dropped and was replaced with an equally serious face much like his own. "Fine shithead I know the risks. Now my real objective in coming all the way here to personally greet you is to tell you the same thing that Orochimaru-sama offered you when you first visited Otogakure. He offers you the power you desire…for a price of course". The air around them both became filled with silence at the mention of power.

Naruto for the most part remained unaffected by her tempting offer remembering the time he initially declined the exact same offer. Now the offer seemed more logical to him than ever since back then he had a valid reason to decline. Now however he didn't really have any sort of attachment to his supposed _home. _That was the truth and anybody that looked close enough could see it as clear as day. He was sure that Kakashi and Asuma had noticed his tendencies and would report this behavior to the old man. Even after knowing all that could he really just abandon Konoha like that? Could he really betray the few people who gave him a chance on a whim? It's not as if he hadn't thought of the possibility already seeing not too long ago he had discussed it with his partner Haku.

Her offer had him pondering on what the right course of action would benefit him the most. Did he need Orochimaru's direct intervention to get stronger or was there another way. He had also been mulling over the fact that Orochimaru could know some information about Danzo whereabouts which he desperately needed. While his brain was thinking over all the possible outcomes Tayuya had become even more agitated at the longing silence.

Tayuya narrowed her eyes and began unconsciously grinding her teeth in annoyance. "Well…what the fuck is it going to be shithead? YES or NO pick one already dammit or are you just going to stand there like a fucking lifeless zombie". On the outside she was annoyed while on the inside she secretly wanted for him to accept his offer knowing it would bring him much closer to her.

On the other hand she didn't want him to accept his offer. She already knew why Orochimaru wanted Naruto to join them. It was those creepy sharingan eyes of his that were the cause of all this grief. He was absolutely obsessed with all the possibilities he could achieve with them. She was completely against this act, but right now wasn't the right time to defy her master. She still felt that she needed more power that she knew he could offer her. In all honesty if Orochimaru wanted her dead he wouldn't hesitate even for a second. If that outcome came forth her dreams of finding the man responsible for the deaths of her parents would be crushed.

She did not want to let that happen while she was still alive and breathing. She had promised herself and her mother that she would find that monster that was responsible for destroying her only happiness and tear them limb from limb. She would make him suffer a hundred times over and make him understand the pain she went through till this day. That was her true goal right now and nothing could stand in her way.

She understood that if she stayed with Orochimaru she would eventually find out information regarding the man. She had trained her entire life for that specific moment and he promised her power if she worked for him. Power was everything to her having shed that naïve little girl façade that used to believe that things would just happen on command. She was ruthlessly reminded that action had to take place if you wanted for something to get done. Everybody that was anybody in this world had one thing in common **power. **She was broken from her dark desire by Naruto's familiar voice.

Naruto hadn't overlooked the tell-tale signs that she had something that was bothering her. He left it alone for now knowing that she hadn't come for that and was still waiting for an answer. He tilted his head to the right and spoke. "What happens if I do agree with his offer Tayuya? Do I leave immediately and leave my friends behind?

Tayuya unclenched her fists from her previous thoughts and stood in awe not believing that he was actually considering his offer instead of turning it down like he had done before. She regained her composure seeing him expecting an honest answer. "N-No nothing like that. You will stay with your team until you are needed.

Expect me to contact you during the Chunin Exams. Until then act as if nothing has happened". She paused and carefully gazed at the man in front of her asking him one more time. "Do you agree to serve under Orochimaru-sama and under no circumstances betray his trust? Listen well Naruto-kun if you betray him he will kill you so no funny business alright".

After a brief moment of silence Tayuya saw Naruto nod in agreement much to her relief. "Sure I agree to serve under Orochimaru-_sama". _Naruto gave her a small smirk, "Although tell him I need to have a word with him as soon as possible. I have certain things to ask". Naruto felt the tingling sensation again meaning that Keiko was about to speak. **"Naruto-kun are you honestly betraying your home to work under this man? **Naruto noticed the disappointment in her voice regarding his decision.

'_Keiko-chan do not worry about it I only want to see where this goes. Understand that I need all the advantages that I can get. This is no time to be worried about whose side I am on. To me that doesn't matter'. _The entity inside him hesitantly nodded unsure whether this was the correct course for him to take. She trusted him wholeheartedly, but it was this Orochimaru person that she didn't. She remained quite signifying the brief conversation was over.

The brown eyed kunochi looked over at the boy with confusion evident on her face. She was contemplating what exactly could be so important to need his direct presence? Couldn't he simply tell her right now and she would in turn mention it to him when she returned. "Why can't you tell me right now shithead? I'll tell him for you when I return".

Naruto didn't give her request a second to linger between them before slamming it. "Sorry Tayuya-chan. I have to tell him myself being something of extreme importance. It is not something one can openly tell someone. Not even you I'm afraid perhaps another time". He gave her a smile trying to persuade her to not dwell on the matter, but that of course backfired.

Tayuya had developed a visible tick mark on her temple starting to get annoyed. She didn't like to be left in the dark especially if it involved him. He couldn't really blame him for not trusting her though. It had been years since they had last spoken to each other after all. Those years of silence were one of the hardest things she has ever had to endure.

She was desperate in finding out what had become of him the past few years, but she was constantly on missions that prevented her from knowing anything. Orochimaru really worked them to the ground training them furiously constantly preaching that they needed to get stronger. As a result of all that grueling training she had indeed grown stronger from it. She had also grown closer to the other people who worked under him. They had even formed a team that was dubbed the sound four which consisted of herself Sakon, Jirobo, and Kidomaru.

Together the four of them were one unbeatable team that Orochimaru had created specifically for him. She believed that with all of them together nothing could stand a chance in their wake. There was one unofficial member of the team and just mentioning his name brought her chills down her spine. Kimimaro had grown so powerful that she honestly believed that he alone could defeat them all even in their stage 2. She was relieved that certain complication had arisen mainly concerning his health as of late resulting in being taken off the team.

She was happy when it happened and she was sure the others were as well. They didn't know what that guy was thinking. He was cold and ruthless when it came to killing the ones he was assigned to. It reminded her somewhat of Naruto, but she quickly slashed those thoughts telling herself that Naruto had some kind of heart in there. Kimimaro on the flipside seem to only focus on pleasing Orochimaru and nothing else. He was the epitome of a true follower and the power he wielded known as the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei genkai was truly something to fear.

While she was thinking back to her past Naruto had realized that there time together was coming to a close. Knowing that he quickly shunshined in front of her startling her at his sudden closeness. The shock on her face made him smirk and the closeness brought other feelings as well. He slowly brought his hands towards her bare neck and gently ran his warm hands across her slim neckline ever so slowly passing through the visible curse seal that was implanted on her. He carefully traced around the unique three hook pattern of her curse mark fascinated by the seal. "So this is the infamous mark that I've heard about recently". He chuckled thinking back, "Last time we fought it gave you incredible power correct. I can't even fathom how strong you've become since then Tayuya-chan".

His hot breath kissed her neck making her tremble at the unique sensation it was having on her. Before she managed to escape his grasp he added another statement that was laced with hatred. "This _thing _is also what binds you to him. You're merely his plaything to do whatever he wants with you Tayuya. Even you can see that right".

Tayuya forcefully pushed him away from her not wanting to hear what he had to say anymore. "S-Shut the fuck up you asshole. I'm not his plaything or whatever your sick mind has thought of. **He** saved us all from being alone and gave us a chance. **He** gave us a place to call home after ours was destroyed. **He** gave us all the power that we desperately desired so things like that wouldn't happen again".

She gave him a disgusted look and unconsciously her curse mark began to flare up from the conflicting emotions. "So don't you dare speak badly about Orochimaru-sama if you know nothing". Her curse mark continued to pulse foreshadowing the coming conflict.

Naruto gave her a condescending smile finding her fierce protection of the Sannin laughable. He brought his hands towards his neck pointing towards the invisible curse mark practically mocking the kunochi. "In due time, I'll free you from his clutches and you'll thank me for freeing you Tayuya-chan".

Tayuya simply busted out in laughter finding his confident face hilarious. "P-please don't make me laugh shithead. If you honestly think you stand a chance against him then you must be even more delusional than I thought. You're still the same kid that is stuck playing ninja. You don't know shit about what it means to be a true shinobi.

I bet all your missions so far have been taking out the trash or picking up some random dog's crap. If you think that is enough to take down one of the most powerful people in the world then you will live a short life boy". She pointed towards her eyes and mocked him even further. "The only thing that you have that makes you even remotely special is those eyes of yours. Other than that you're just a regular nobody".

Naruto was not amused at her insults remaining in place carefully watching her. His face darkened as she continued to throw insults. "You must realize something Tayuya. The person you knew back then is not the same one you see before you. These past few years I have overcome many hardships and have grown stronger because of it. You know nothing of what I had to go through to reach where I am now. Don't run your mouth since I can quickly kill you if I desired".

Tayuya scoffed at his cockiness not convinced that his words held any truth behind them. Her pride would simply not allow her to believe that someone who wasn't trained like her would stand a chance against them. Through her training under him she believed that she held the advantage of power between them. Feeling like she had to show him how inferior he was compared to her right now. A strange pattern began to sprawl all across her body covering her in a foul shroud of energy. She quickly brought her flute towards her lips and began to play a familiar rhythm turning his world around him black. She smirked when she thought her genjutsu had been successful seeing the blank look on his face.

Naruto's demeanor was in fact blank but not for the fact that she thought though. His world started to morph into a sickening black that would've brought any other shinobi to his knees in disgust. Of course because of his sharingan he knew what was happening and with a simple blink her genjutsu was destroyed. This fact angered her even further.

Tayuya removed the flute from her lips seeing her genjutsu being broken so easily. She clenched her jaw shut and grinded her teeth in frustration. "Stop fucking with my genjutsu with those eyes of yours. For once fight with your own power you coward".

Naruto wasn't even fazed by her comment. His voice remained stoic when responding to her blatant insult. "These eyes you hate so much are my true power Tayuya. Let me demonstrate what I'm capable of just by looking at you. Then you will understand how inferior you are compared to me".

Tayuya continued to watch him with a deep scowl planted on her face not believing a single word he was spouting. "Stop fucking spouting your dull speeches every time you talk. You still haven't changed from before always spouting crap from your mouth". She was stopped from continuing her verbal barrage when she felt a sudden sensation clouding her mind. She began blinking her eyes as quick as she could manage trying to break free of whatever it was that was holding her.

When she opened them again the only thing she could see was his eyes. His blood-red sharingan eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. Her entire body froze the next second forcing her to drop her precious flute ending the battle as a result. She couldn't even talk that's how bad it had taken a hold on her. The next thing she saw was Naruto vanish from her vision and breeze right past her leaving behind a streak of blue. The next thing she heard was a loud slump and a painful groan that she pinpointed directly behind her.

Her unresponsive body immediately dropped to the cold dirt ground in pure exhaustion. She felt as if her entire frame was devoid of any chakra whatsoever. After several harsh breaths she managed to use whatever energy she felt like she had left inside to turn her head backwards. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she witnessed Naruto standing over a mysterious masked shinobi fully geared in Anbu clothing.

Her eyes drifted from the man to Naruto and immediately she knew he was not happy in the slightest. A dark thin veil seemed to engulf his modest frame making her tremble at the amount of killing intent she was experiencing coming from him. In the short time she had known him she had never seen him like this before. She was definitely curious as to the cause of his hatred.

Naruto's cold sharingan eyes could be seen madly spinning almost resembling a pinwheel on a windy day. His ferocious gaze continued to linger on the masked shinobi. The Anbu was desperately trying to break free of the intense hold Naruto's genjutsu was having on his body. Seeing the man begin to writhe in struggle Naruto leaned closer to the man and harshly ripped off his black mask revealing a smooth shaved man who seemed to be in his early 20s.

He forcefully pulled the man's face closer to his and gave him a stare that would make anyone tremble in pure fear. "Tell me your motive on spying on our conversation the entire time. Did you really think you could escape my senses? Naruto gave the man a dark chuckle enjoying the moment. "The whole time I was carefully observing you trying to figure out what you would do. I suggest you speak and tell me what you came here for before I completely lose my cool and kill you". He ruthlessly proceeded to push his face away from him leaving the man dazed and confused.

The unmasked Anbu managed to sit up gradually beginning to regain his senses. His eyes dilated and focused on the boy standing before him and quickly realized that he had been captured. This was a huge blow on his pride having never been seen or captured during his time with the mysterious organization. He knew that by being captured here his chances of escaping were next to none. He needed to escape somehow having valuable information pertaining to the boy. He was certain this information would make his master happy. Especially if it involved the boy potentially siding with the snake Sannin.

Things seemed bleak to the Anbu in regards of escaping acknowledging the move the boy had made on him was still having some ill effects on his motions. His basic movements seemed to be taking longer to come back fully leaving him with only basic senses right now. Now the boy wanted to hear answers that he couldn't particularly mention to anyone. If he did breach his trust to his master then he was a dead man already. After dwelling on it for some brief seconds he finally decided he would remain quite. That silence earning him bone crushing blows to his jawbone making his vision blur from the raw force behind it.

Naruto's features could be seen slowly morphing into the Kyuubi's more prominent features. His teeth had begun to elongate quickly beginning to protrude from his lips. Having recalled the moment when those three men came to him years ago made his control begin to slip. Those men he remembered wore the exact same thing that this man was donning right now. **"Danzo", **he growled making the hardened man shiver at the overpowering killing intent leaking from the boy.

Naruto visibly struggled to keep from hurting the man feeling the emotions from back then coming back to him. He ruthlessly picked up the man from his throat and gave him the most menacing gaze the man had probably experienced. **"You work for that bastard Danzo correct". **His mixture of cold and fury carried throughout the silent forest seemingly freezing everything in its vicinity.

Tayuya meanwhile was still struggling to gather her chakra back that had seemingly left her body. She assumed that it was a direct result at something Naruto had done to her. She was still baffled that his eyes alone could have that much impact on her. That explains why her master was obsessed with the sharingan so badly. They were truly something to fear especially from the demonstration he had provided.

She knew he was powerful from their battle in the past and he didn't even use his sharingan the entire time. While she had to resort to going to level 2 just to keep up with him and even then it still wasn't enough. She would be dead if it wasn't for Kimimaro interfering. That facts made her understand how powerful Naruto was. Now it seemed that his power was incredibly different from before. The sheer amounts of killing intent coming from him made the simple act of breathing become the hardest thing to do.

This ominous feeling was incredibly similar to when Orochimaru would get angry at something that didn't go his way. The crazy thing about this was he was just a teen while Orochimaru was fully grown. She shuddered at the thought of how powerful he would become. It was laughable that she had her first kiss with a guy that was truly gifted and having him as your enemy was completely suicidal. Her dark brown eyes focused on the supposed Anbu intrigued as to who this man that could cause this much hatred from him.

While she was intrigued her mind was the direct opposite wanting nothing more than for her to run away and not look back. Her heart though was telling her to stay and see this through to the end. She felt this urge to know more about this. She definitely needed to know more about him. Ultimately this man standing before her eyes in all his fury was the only one she wholeheartedly believed could relate to her story. Her eyes lingered on the boy wondering what was going through his head right now. '_Naruto what on earth happened these past few years'. _Her question was left unanswered of course.

Naruto was so far managing to control his building anger recognizing if he released any more power it would only result in alerting Kakashi and the others. He sure as hell did not want to associate them with his mess. He also did not want to risk Tayuya getting injured. He knew she wasn't a weakling, but when you're facing a whole team of genin that included two Jounin then even she couldn't make out of here unscathed.

His frightening sharingan eyes gravitated against the kunochi and recognized the concern in her enriching eyes. He was perplexed on the exact reason for her concern. On the other hand if one were to peer from a distance it was a whole other story. His eyes calmly strayed away from her and lingered on the man tightly in his hand hearing him begin to whimper.

The Anbu grimaced in pain struggling to take some much-needed oxygen from the sheer amount of pressure the boy was unleashing. He succeeded in opening a single eye and spoke with empty conviction in his voice. "I-I cannot tell you anything boy now unhand me before you make my master displeased. This act of superiority from the man did not go over well with Naruto earning him another abrupt blow to his stomach resulting him to gasp for air.

Naruto's expression turned even more feral matching his deepening voice. **"When did I ever give you a fucking choice you imbecile". **The man gasped for air receiving another devastating blow to his unprotected chest. **"Tell me where the weakling Danzo is hiding at or I swear I will force you to comply". **

The Anbu grinned revealing his bloody teeth finding his situation amusing. "P-please you're still just a kid. What can you possibly accomplish in knowing his location? It will only result in your demise kid". He snorted and spit even more blood. "Y-your just like that foolish girl that tried to oppose Danzo-sama.

She was naïve in thinking she could take withstand Danzo-sama so you can go rot in hell for all I care. You will never get anything out of me so release me at once! The man commanded feeling a false sense of security not realizing that he was one borrowed time already. It was just a matter of time before his light closed indefinitely.

Naruto's white bangs shadowed over his face casting a shadow masking his emotions. His grasp on the man was starting to become unwaveringly tighter giving a dangerous smirk seeing the man begin to squirm under his grasp as a result. He casually raised his head revealing his sharingan eye spinning violently feeding off the intense emotions he was going through. **"Let me ask you once again why did Danzo send you here? **

His straightforward question was promptly answered by the blank looking man. His answers were devoid of any emotion signifying the genjutsu had been successful. "Danzo-sama sent me here to spy on you knowing you were heading back to Konoha. He had also gathered that this woman was also searching for something thus Danzo-sama tasked me in following her. He predicted it would lead to your location which of course came true. He knows you're looking for him and blames him for the deaths of Maki and Chi".

Naruto stood stationary taking the new information in stride. He finally decided he had waited long enough and it was now time to know where this scum was hiding at. He surveyed the lifeless man and inquired. **"Tell me where your master is hiding at". **

The root member promptly consented having lost all his free will to refuse. Just as the man was about to answer his question and expose his masters hiding place an intricate seal erupted sprawling all across the man's body killing him instantly. His lifeless corpse slumped to the dirt floor rapidly beginning to disintegrate right before his eyes leaving no trace of his whereabouts whatsoever.

Naruto witnessed this happening and couldn't help but release a deep growl of grief seeing his only chance of finding the man slipping right through his fingers. Dark red lightning could be seen sparking around his body. **"Damn that bastard Danzo. He purposely put a seal on him in case he would get caught. I should've known better that to think it would be that easy to find him. At least I know that scum still lives. I want to be the one that ends his pathetic excuse of a life". **

Keiko couldn't bear seeing him acting like this. **"Naruto-kun calm down or you'll alert everyone that happens to be traveling near us. I know this is frustrating but getting mad won't help you find him any quicker. Think about the girl. If you continue to release more and more energy Kakashi and the others will come running. Who knows what might happen then so calm down please? **Her pleas were heard seeing him calmly breathe in composing himself knowing she was right.

Tayuya by now had recovered enough of her chakra to stand up normally without any major struggle. She had seen the whole thing between them and her first thought about the scene was fear. She recognized that Naruto was not the nicest guy even way back then, but this Naruto here seemed even colder.

She wanted to ask about his change, but her voice betrayed her fearing she would somehow anger him. She knew deep down in her heart that he would never hurt her unless she warranted it in the first place. This gave her some piece of mind but just barely. Her thoughts were snapped by Naruto himself. What really confused her was how normal he was as opposed to earlier.

Naruto had by now completely calmed himself now walking to a confused Tayuya. He knew exactly what was going through her head after having to experience that scene, but now was not the time. "Tayuya-chan I need to head back to camp so as not to alert them. Go and report back to Orochimaru before he starts stressing over your prolonged absence".

Tayuya gawked at how nonchalant he was being towards her even though just moments ago he seemed like he would destroy the entire area. Her confusion turned into anger seeing how calm he was acting. "What the fuck do you mean I need to go back? You're not even going to say fucking goodbye at least. I thought we were close, but the way your acting I guess that ended long ago huh".

Hearing the sadness in her voice Naruto quickly stopped in his tracks and smiled feeling happy that she still had some feeling for him. He turned his head towards her smiling the entire time. "Tayuya-chan you know it's only a matter of time before we see each other again. If anything I should tell you to take care of yourself. Also don't let anyone touch you. After all…you belong to _**me Tayuya-chan". **_He laughed thoroughly enjoying the reaction he was getting from it.

Tayuya stood mouth agape not believing what she was hearing coming from his lips. Her anger reached a boiling point at this point. "I'm not some fucking item to claim ownership over. You don't fucking own me you shithead. I don't see a fucking ring on this finger you cold-hearted bastard".

Her eyes widened seeing him vanish and appear right behind her. He leaned dangerously close to her exposed neck and gently whispered into her sensitive ear making her knees buckle at his suggestion. "I can make you mine if you so wished Tayuya-chan. Just tell me nicely and I will grant you your deepest desires". He deliberately started to brush his hands with a faint aura of electricity enveloping them making her unconsciously purr at his actions. His hands gradually crawled south getting dangerously close to her undiscovered spot.

Tayuya instantly gave him a harsh elbow his chest earning a slight grunt from the boy. "W-what t-the fuck do you think you're doing to me. Y-you can't just touch me like that y-you lecherous old man". She struggled to keep her voice under control still feeling aroused just by his hands. This was a foreign experience to her and if she felt this hot just from his hands just imagine what it would feel like if he went even further? She internally trembled in delight at the thought developing a healthy shade of red on her cheeks.

He smirked confidently seeing his actions break through the ever so tough Tayuya. He had learned a few tricks on his travels with Itachi, but nothing too complicated. This was just in the heat of the moment and it was working perfectly so far. He raised his hands in the air as if surrendering to her. "Fine Tayuya-chan I understand you're not a thing. I was just teasing you since I just love how riled up you become because of it". He casually passed her and began to walk away. "I'll be heading back now so take care of yourself and take what is said before to heart".

She saw him stop in his tracks once again and started producing an overwhelming amount of energy making her breath hitch at the sheer intensity of the pressure he was releasing. She witnessed his sharingan turn a deep blue spinning steadily successfully mesmerizing her at the beauty behind it. His words that came from his mouth made her review the path she was taking and that was something that had never occurred.

Naruto stood in place while a steady amount of lightning sparked around him scorching the ground beneath them. He knew this action would definitely alert Kakashi and the others, but he felt he needed to demonstrate a sliver of just how powerful he had become. He wanted for her to trust that whatever he said was the complete truth. "Tayuya I know the reason you stay with him. You seek power correct. He took her silence as a yes and continued. His tone turned dark, "Someone hurt you in the past didn't they Tayuya".

Tayuya dropped to her knees at the lack of strength from her legs on being figured out so easily. How on earth did he figure out her darkest secret? She desperately tried to deny his assumption. "I-I don't know what you're talking about shithead". She averted her eyes from his piercing gaze knowing he would quickly figure her out and realize she is lying.

Naruto continued to study her while his sharingan still activated. "Tayuya don't lie to yourself. We all want power we are human after all. However what makes us unique is that we all have a precise reason behind it. You only stay with him because he promises you power in return for your loyalty. Sooner rather than later you have to figure out that there is only so much one person can learn.

Once you reach your limit and he sees you are of no use anymore he will discard you like the rest. What will you do after that? What do you do when you don't find what you were looking for from the very start? There are so many unknowns when you align yourself with somewhat like himself, but I am not a naïve child anymore Tayuya. I know why you do it". His sharingan slowly faded away revealing his comforting blue eyes to the girl. "You're an avenger like me. We lost someone precious forcing us to pursue this path. Just don't let it control you and make you blind to all the good around you. I give you my word Tayuya I will free you from your cage just give me some time. I will be the one to grant you your darkest desires, but you have to let me in. Until then I can only watch from afar and wonder what you will decided".

Tayuya meanwhile was struggling from crying out as she watched him begin to leave the area. She wanted to tell him so many things, but her voice betrayed her. She thought those would be his last words of the night. She was surprised when she felt a breeze hit her followed by something warm and soft on her lips.

Her eyes widened when she realized what was happening right now. Not wanting to ruin the moment she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment that she had dreamed of for so many nights. After seconds turned into minutes Tayuya quickly gathered her bearings and pushed away from him. For some reason seeing him with such a smug look on his face agitated her. "W-Who the fuck gave you permission to kiss me like that? Ask before you force yourself on me shithead".

Naruto could tell that her anger was not her real feelings seeing the blush in her face. "Forgive my rudeness Tayuya-chan I just couldn't help myself any longer. You have definitely grown these past few years haven't you".

Tayuya covered herself feeling she was being watched by the boy. Narrowing her eyes she grumbled, "Pervert".

Naruto smiled at her attempt to sound pissed. "Go Tayuya I feel them coming. I'll see you soon ok". With his farewell said Naruto quickly sprinted into the thick forest disappearing into the darkness.

This left the red-headed kunochi alone in the darkness thinking over the events that had just transpired in the short time they had been reunited. She gently ran her fingers across her lips recalling the sweet but short kiss from him. It was even better than the one she had with him all those years ago. She hated to admit it but there was something about him that made her happy.

Was it love or was it something else that constantly invaded her body when he was there. She still couldn't figure it out since she has never felt like this towards anyone. What he said before really opened her eyes and made her think about her future. "_I give you my word Tayuya I will free you from your cage just give me some time. I will be the one to grant you your darkest desires, but you have to let me in. Until then I can only watch from afar and wonder what you will decide"._ Did he really mean what he told her? Could he really manage to free her from her past? She slowly reached for her curse mark and covered it with her hand.

She knew that this thing meant that he controlled her, but without it she felt weak. She clenched her jaw feeling frustrated at having to rely on someone else for power. She had no other choice though. Tayuya was abruptly brought out of her thoughts feeling a sharp pulse coming from her curse mark meaning it was time to return. Orochimaru wanted to hear the information she carried and preferably soon. Her brown eyes drifted to the spot where Naruto had departed one last time before she vanished.

_**A:N/ and scene. Well what did you guys think about this chapter was it good was it bad. Where you surprised about Tayuya's appearance or did you expect it already. Anyways as I stated I will be putting up a poll and the top six girls will be paired up with Naruto somehow. As always I thank you for enjoying and reading my story. If you did enjoy it please don't forget to Review. It tells me if you're enjoying the story or not. The more I get the faster I will be persuaded on putting the next chapter up. Well I said everything I planned to so Until next time BlackCrow out!**_


	25. New Team

**A/N: Hello my fellow readers I bring you another chapter of my wonderful story. I also have the results of the Harem choices. I will leave the poll for another chapter so vote if you don't like the current leading girls right now. So yeah that's about it and don't forget to Review. **

**Haku-39 votes**

**Tayuya-34 votes**

**Mei-28 votes**

**Samui-27 votes**

**Anko-25 votes**

**Fuu-20 votes**

**Konan-18 votes**

**Tsunade-16 votes**

**Karin-15 votes**

**Kurenai-14 votes**

**Temari-13 votes **

**Yugito-11 votes**

**Ino-11 votes**

**Ten-Ten-8 votes**

**Kin-8 votes **

**Hinata-7 votes**

**Sakura-4 votes **

**Other-2 votes**

_(10 minutes later)_

**(Location Forest)**

A tiny speck of light glinted off Naruto's white locks as Naruto calmly walked in the forest. The only way you could tell that he was there would be the silent crunch noises coming from stepping on the countless dead piles of leaves that scoured the forest floor. His destination was the camp grounds where his teammates where probably waiting for his return. He could tell immediately that Kakashi and company were coming straight for his location. It wasn't as if he was trying to hide his presence or anything like that, but nonetheless it was still impressive that they had found him so easily. His location being found out didn't bother him having already sensed Tayuya depart from the area.

He had to admit it was harsh seeing her doubt her resolve at the end. All the things he mentioned to her though were meant to make her see clearly. He wanted for her to acknowledge that there were other alternative besides siding with the snake. That alternative was of course himself. He couldn't stand the fact that Orochimaru had her in his clutches so deeply and even if she tried to escape he would activate that damn seal and debilitate her. He needed to find a way to remove that cursed seal from her body. That was the only way to free her from his control.

The question was how in the world he would do that. He wasn't a seals master for crying out loud. Although he hadn't really dabbled in the practice so who knows if he was any good at it. There was some hope at the end of the spectrum having knowledge about a certain kunochi that was in a similar situation regarding having that cursed mark. For the life of him he couldn't remember her name not having actually met her personally. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice in his mind. **"Naruto-kun may I ask you a question? **

Naruto merely shrugged for her to continue as he continued to watch forward. "_Go ahead Keiko-chan'. _Silence followed after his statement before being quickly broken by her commanding yet tender voice. **"Do you love that girl? **That simple yet deep question made him stop dead in his tracks. _'Why would you ask something like that Keiko? _**"Answer the question Naruto-kun. Do you love that girl? **After a long stretch of silence a drawn out sigh could be heard from the boy knowing if he didn't answer she would only keep pestering him even further. He collected his thoughts and gave her an honest answer. _'I'm not certain Keiko-chan. What is love really? I mean I know I like her. We have so much in common it's hard to simply ignore really, but anything more than that I'm not sure. You should be asking Tayuya-chan that question Keiko-chan'. _

Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly hearing the dark entity in his mind begin to laugh. **"Are you seriously asking me that question Naruto-kun? Of course she loves you all the signs are there. It's up to you if you want to acknowledge them for what they are and not merely shrug them off. We all need somebody Naruto-kun. Just because we have power doesn't mean we can do everything ourselves. Having somebody there will only empower us even further". **

Naruto remained silent still thinking over what his partner had just told him. He knew everything that she had said was the truth, but did he want to accept that. Could he really let other people into his heart knowing that he had enemies wandering after him? He clenched his fist remembering the day when he had been told that Maki and Chi had been killed. He was afraid that exact situation would befall anyone that got close to him. He dashed those thoughts away and continued walking forward into the darkness of the forest. After a couple more minutes of peaceful silence his keen senses quickly picked out the unique chakra signatures his teammates had. His above normal senses gathered that it was only three of them coming his way.

He quickly stopped in his tracks and simply waited for them to reach him. His observant eyes quickly honed in on the silhouettes of the shadowy figures that neared even closer. As he had gathered three people quickly descended from the forest canopy above and stood watching him with a mixture of worry and suspicion. The suspicion mostly came from Kakashi while the worry came from Haku and Ino. He wondered why Kakashi had chosen these two to join him in his retrieval. If it was him he would leave Ino out of it and bring Sasuke. With his sharingan it would be easier in finding him. Then again he knew Kakashi himself would be enough in tracking him so his suggestion was neither here nor there. Anyways that didn't really matter now they were here and that was it.

Kakashi's face was of upmost seriousness clearly wanting to know what had happened to the boy while he was out here. With a single arm he signaled the two kunochi to hold their ground wanting to be cautious not knowing what would happen. Both kunochi clearly detested his command especially Haku wanting to be next to her master as soon as possible. She held her tongue and stayed put as she watched the masked man cautiously step forward and approached the boy. Kakashi tilted his head down slightly and asked. "Naruto why did you release so much chakra? Did something happen on your walk?

Naruto remained as stoic as possible not wanting to flame Kakashi's suspicions on him any further. He wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible before it resulted in even more questions. "Don't worry about what happened Kakashi. I was just practicing that technique you had taught me while we were at Wave. What was it called again? Kakashi quickly mumbled "Chidori" answering his question. Naruto reacted with a small smile that seemed completely out-of-place for his personality. "Yeah that's the name I guess it worked pretty well from your reaction huh".

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly not believing his story in full. He wasn't named captain of the Anbu for nothing. He could tell something was off from his explanation about what had occurred out there. His single eye drifted towards the darkened forest ahead and began focusing chakra on his nose. Naruto's eyes visibly narrowed on Kakashi's actions knowing what he was doing. Even though he knew exactly what he was doing he did nothing to interfere with the man. It would only create unnecessary attention towards him and he did not want that at the moment.

After a couple silent minutes had gone by the Jounin finally removed his eyes from the forest and completely stopped his actions with his nose. Nudging his head he instructed. "Alright Naruto follow us back to camp. Asuma and the others are up ahead guarding the camp. It's best we hurry and inform them that the danger has left and it's safe for now". He swiftly spun his frame around and faced towards the camp grounds. He then signaled the Kunochi's and Naruto to follow him back.

Naruto's intense eyes never left the former Anbu captain figure knowing from his earlier statement that he had definitely sniffed something out there. His fierce gaze finally relented and drifted towards the Kunochi's sensing their watchful gaze on him. He knew what they were thinking and he wanted nothing more than to tell them the truth. However now was not a good time to reveal what had gone down just a couple of minutes ago especially when Kakashi was still there and could hear everything.

So in return he gave them a genuine smile reassuring them that everything was fine and to stop worrying so much. "Come on you guys don't worry so much. You heard Kakashi let's head back to camp". That of course did nothing but raise even more concern from the girls. He felt their worrisome glares behind his back, but decided that he would leave it at that for now and give them the run down at a later date.

* * *

(_One day later)_

**(Location entrance to the Hidden Leaf Village)**

The trip back home had been quiet the entire way. He had caught Asuma and Kakashi give him some suspicious glances on several occasions. This action cemented his assumption that they knew what had occurred last night or at least had some inkling that he had met someone who was unknown to them. He accepted their suspicions couldn't be helped right now and he could only go forward from here. His eyes focused ahead and witnessed the huge wooden gates that have protected Konoha from danger for so long.

Kakashi signaled the team to halt slowing their pace significantly. The masked Jounin calmly walked up the duo that currently guarded the gates and greeted them. He gave a short wave to a Chunin that wore his head band like a bandana and showed him the papers required to enter. With a friendly smile he spoke. "Yo Izumo long time no see man".

Before the Chunin known as Izumo could respond the other gate-keeper who was sleeping just moments ago quickly interjected rudely pushing the annoyed looking man away. "Hey Kakashi-senpai I didn't know you were in a mission what's up man". The carefree man gave the masked Jounin a wide grin and extended his arm expecting a handshake to his surprise never came.

Izumo quickly shoved the smiling Chunin back looking annoyed at his partner's actions. "Geez Kotetsu it was only mentioned a thousand times by Hokage-sama to expect for their return. If you would only take your job seriously for once you would know this stuff in the first place. Now you look like an idiot in front of all these Genin". Izumo grabbed his head trying to calm down, "Don't you have any dignity man".

The team saw the Chunin identified as Kotetsu shrink behind the small stall. Most of them had a smile on their faces finding their interactions with each other hilarious. It was definitely a much-needed laugh after all the heavy stuff they had been through that's for sure.

Izumo gave a smile himself seeing the kids smiling faces. He turned towards Kakashi who was still waiting for them to finish in whatever nonsense they had going on. The Chunin laughed and scratched his cheek. "Sorry about the wait Kakashi-senpai give me the papers so I can check them. I'm sure you're in a hurry to go see the Hokage".

While Izumo was going over the papers the other Chunin who had a strip of bandage across his nose narrowed his eyes when he spotted Haku. Kotetsu quickly readied a kunai and jumped over the stall sprinting towards the unknown kunochi. His advances were quickly halted by a lightning fast kick coming from the white-haired boy sending him flying backwards. Kotetsu quickly recovered and landed on his feet giving the boy a confused look.

Naruto stood calmly in front of Haku protecting her from harm. Without even turning his head he advised Kakashi. "Kakashi tell him that Haku is not a threat before I'm forced to kill him".

Kakashi gave a tired sigh hearing what Naruto had said. He waved for Kotetsu to stand down not wanting to witness such a thing. "Stand down Kotetsu-san the kunochi is with me".

Kotetsu nodded and slowly stood straight dusting himself off cringing a bit at the force of the kick. His charcoal eyes lingered on the kid that managed to send him back narrowing slightly feeling something incredibly familiar. Since nothing came to mind his curious visage detached from the boy and drifted towards Kakashi. "Why didn't you tell me that she was with you from the beginning, Kakashi-senpai?

Izumo gave a long sigh hearing his excuse. The Chunin walked up to the oblivious man and shoved the papers in his face explaining everything to him clearly. "If you only waited like you were supposed to you would've known about the situation. Instead you embarrassed yourself by getting your ass kicked by a mere Genin".

Sasuke and the others looked at Naruto's direction and knew how ironic Izumo's statement was. They had seen it first-hand how powerful Naruto was and he was completely past mere Genin level. This angered Sasuke feeling like he was being left even more behind than he was already. His angered visage continued to linger towards Naruto as he began to doubt whether he would ever surpass his brother.

Shikamaru meanwhile had also found what Izumo had said ironic. Lately the Nara had felt that Naruto had begun to drift apart from their team. Ever since this Haku had joined the picture he had begun to talk less and less to them. Well more him than Ino. Nonetheless it was still a worrisome development and he didn't like it one bit. Putting both hands in his pant pockets he murmured, "Troublesome".

Meanwhile Kotetsu looked ready to protest, but had quickly decided against the idea knowing Izumo was right. He slowly dragged his feet back to the stall and slumped in his wooden chair in defeat.

Izumo shook his head on his partner's actions and returned the papers back to Kakashi seeing their work was done. "Here you go Kakashi-senpai your free to head in now. Oh and say hello to Hokage-sama for me alright". Kakashi waved him off and signaled his team to follow him inside.

Both of the Chunin watched them leave until they were out of their sights. Kotetsu was still grumbling over his embarrassing defeat to the boy. He turned his head towards Izumo who was apparently filing some extra paperwork and asked. "Hey Izumo got a minute? Izumo didn't even bother stopping his action and just nodded for him to continue. Kotetsu saw this and continued. "Did that white-haired Genin remind you of anyone? I swear I've seen him somewhere before".

Izumo without removing his eyes from his assignment quickly responded. "Of course you have that's the Naruto kid that's always lived here you dumbass. Who else could it be?

Kotetsu stood wide-eyed not believing that the kid was the Naruto brat he had seen so long ago. "W-What the hell do you mean by that. Naruto was always blond right?

Izumo momentarily stopped on his paperwork and looked at his partner with annoyance. "Are you being serious right now Kotetsu? The Hokage sent us all a message explaining what had happened with the boy".

Kotetsu finally stood up from his chair still confused by what he meant exactly. "What do you mean something happened to the kid. What on earth happened to change him like that? Last time I've seen him he was always cheerful and obnoxious. How on earth did he turn into that?

Izumo stacked his finished paperwork into a neat pile and sighed. He turned his head towards his confused partner and gave him a serious glare. "Listen Kotetsu just take what I tell you as the truth. Naruto is not the same person you knew back then. I don't know the specifics about what happened exactly. However I can tell you he's a bit different in both skill and personality. As you personally witnessed a few moments ago. So shut up and help me out with the work were not even supposed to mention this in public".

Kotetsu appeared to have so many more question, but decided against it realizing how serious the situation was from his partners tone. He spared one last glance towards their direction and wondered how much had changed.

Meanwhile with Kakashi and company, the man had signaled for them to halt their pace. He turned his frame to them and eyed them individually. "Alright you guys go and do whatever you want while Asuma and I head to the Hokage mansion and report about the mission details." He turned his gaze towards the more serious ones in the bunch. "Naruto and Haku follow me".

Seeing that his role at the moment was finished the Uchiha quickly began to walk away heading to who knows where. A certain pink haired kunochi decided to follow him much to the annoyance of the boy.

Shikamaru was not too keen in leaving so soon as he slowly started to figure out that something was out-of-place. His cunning eyes lingered on Asuma wanting to come with them to know what exactly was going on between them.

The bearded Jounin caught Shikamaru's gaze and realized what he wanted to know. _'This kid is quick to pick up on the bad vibes. That goes to show that he's of the Nara clan that's for sure.' _He nudged his head signaling to his student that this wasn't his problem and to stay out of it for now.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at the action but decided against persisting on the topic feeling it would be too troublesome to even bother. Putting both hands in his pockets he began to walk away signaling his friend Choji to follow. "Choji let's head to your place. Your house has a nice view of the clouds". Choji quickly matched Shikamaru's pace and nodded. "Alright we could get something to eat while where at it. My mom is probably cooking right now let's hurry before father finishes it all". The Nara smiled seeing his best friend act as if nothing had happened.

Kakashi smiled seeing their actions with each other and turned his head to the remaining people besides him. He noticed Ino had apparently chosen to stay behind even though he had made it perfectly clear that he only wanted Naruto and Haku to follow. He scratched his gray locks finding it difficult to find the correct wordage to let her down as gently as possible. "Ino-chan I know this is rude of me, but I need you to leave right now. This only concerns these two at the moment".

Ino crossed her arms clearly not liking what Kakashi was saying to her. She was about to protest, but was unable to quickly being interrupted by the boy.

Naruto quickly got in front of her and explained as carefully as possible. "Ino-chan go and see your parents back home. I'm sure they want to see their beautiful daughter after such a long trip. Don't worry about me and Haku-chan we'll come pick you up later and explain". Naruto explained wanting for her to understand that she wasn't needed now.

The blond kunochi hesitantly nodded with her crush realizing it wasn't her place to interfere now. "Ok Naruto-kun I-I guess I'll see you later right? She gave him her brightest smile yet even though he could tell it was strained from uncertainty.

Naruto grasped her soft hands and held them firmly between his own and gazed directly into her equally blue eyes wanting to reassure her not to worry. "Ino-chan I realize this isn't the easiest thing to accept, but I've got important business right now. **Trust** me when I say I will come for you and tell you what you want to know alright". His sharingan flared up for an instant that even Naruto didn't realize it did.

Ino felt this incredible sensation of trust and honesty when hearing his words. It was an odd sensation not having felt this feeling ever in her life. It was if she trusted whatever he was saying to her no matter what. She quickly removed her hands from his and sprinted away without turning back. "I'll trust you Naruto-kun so don't forget I'll be waiting for you guys".

Naruto saw her leaving and smiled at the way she was acting. It was clear that her parents spoiled their only daughter, but he didn't care. If anyone gave him a chance to be loved then whoever that person was he would give them whatever they wanted. He also felt this odd sensation at the end of their conversation. The sensation came from his eyes, but he wasn't sure what it was. He was brought out of his thoughts by a loud cough coming from Kakashi. "Let's get moving Naruto I'm sure you want to get this over with as soon as possible. I'm sure Haku wants to get this over as well". Naruto nodded with the man and proceeded to the Hokage mansion.

* * *

_(20 minutes later)_

**(Location Hokage Office)**

The man known as Sarutobi Hiruzen could be seen carefully observing the scene in front of his office desk. Naruto had basically given him the run down on how he had met Haku and how he wanted for her to have a place in the village. He knew Haku had a rare Kekkei Genkai which would make her a shoe in in this village if mentioned to the council. That said though was it wise to take a missing-nin who had worked under the Zabuza Momochi into his village just like that? His aged eyes didn't miss the intimate moment between them when Naruto showed her comfort by holding her hands tightly.

He smiled seeing this display of affection between them and was honestly happy for Naruto. This was definitely a good sign in his recovery from the tragic deaths of his friends. After some intense seconds of silence around the room Hiruzen finally released a sigh and nodded. "Alright Naruto-kun I will allow Haku to be integrated in our village. However she will be unable to leave this village for six months for precautionary measures am I clear".

Although Naruto seemed calm on the outside on the inside it was a whole other story. He was ecstatic about the outcome and was glad that it had all worked out like he had hoped. "Hokage-sama may I ask another thing from you? Naruto caught the questioning glances from Asuma and Kakashi, but paid no heed and focused on the old man ahead.

Hiruzen was a bit put off by how formal Naruto was being towards him. He quickly shrugged it off knowing this was how he was now and waved. "If it isn't unreasonable then go ahead Naruto-kun".

Naruto nodded and looked towards a calm seeming Haku who noticed his gaze and nodded apparently already knowing what he wanted to ask. Naruto turned back to the old man and continued. "Hokage-sama I request for Haku-chan to be put on Asuma's team".

Asuma stood awestruck at his request while Kakashi remained the same quietly watching the situation unfold.

Hiruzen remained silent carefully thinking over his bold request in his head. He didn't see anything particularly wrong with it. However a certain conversation he had with the council quickly came to mind.

* * *

_(Flashback a day ago)_

**(Location Council Chambers)**

Hiruzen stood in his seat while his eyes roamed over the entire council chambers as the clan leaders took their respective seats. Among the recognizable was Inoichi from the Yamanaka Clan, Shibi from the Aburame Clan, Choza from the Akimichi Clan, Hiashi from the Hyuga Clan, Shikaku from the Nara Clan, and finally Tsume from the Inuzuka Clan. His advisors known as Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane sat respectively besides him. The civilian council which consisted of several members was also present in the meeting as a sign of formality.

Seeing that everybody who was somebody in this village was here decided to start the meeting. "Thank you for joining me to have our weekly council meeting. As standard anyone who has any complaints please mention them now so we can discuss and perhaps address as soon as humanly possible".

As soon as he mentioned that the civilian council quickly spout out dozens of complaints regarding everything that concerned the village civilian life. Once that was out-of-the-way he turned his head towards the Clan leaders and waited for them to ask away. He noticed Shikaku interlock his fingers and look directly at him. Knowing he had something say he waved to him to continue. "Go ahead Shikaku tell me what you're thinking".

The man known as Shikaku Nara slowly nodded and cleared his throat. "Excuse me Hokage-sama I would just like to propose that you reconsider once again the placements of the teams. I strongly suggest you remove Choji Akimichi from Kakashi Hatake's squad and put him where he rightfully belongs as part of Ino-Shika-Cho tradition. I believe Choza and Inoichi would agree with me".

Choza quickly nodded with his friends' suggestion. "Yes Hokage-sama I also strongly believe that Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji should be paired in a team. My son Choji will not work well in another team. I believe if paired with Shikamaru they will accel".

Hiruzen nodded agreeing somewhat with what they were implying. He knew that they would object to the idea of their offspring's not being part of the same team. They believed that since they were a great team that their sons and daughter would naturally take their place. He turned his head towards the blond known as Inoichi and asked what he thought. "What do you think Inoichi do you also believe in having Choji removed from Team 7 and be put in Team 10?

If it weren't for his daughter Inoichi would immediately agree with his friends. He knew that Ino would hate him if that happened since Naruto would be taken away from her. '_Sorry Ino this is for the best I'm sure you'll understand…or not'. _Finally having resolved his decision he also nodded agreeing with Shikaku. "Hai Hokage-sama I also believe that having the original Ino-Shika-Cho together would make them a perfect team".

Hiruzen sighed knowing that his decision in letting his son pick who he wanted was not the best idea. He hadn't thought through it enough to understand that they would be upset and with good reason nonetheless. His aged gaze roamed over the Council chambers meeting everyone's gaze wanting to know their opinion. They all gave them a nod agreeing with their suggestion not really caring what happened though since it didn't concern their sons or daughters.

The wise Hokage finally relented and agreed with their suggestion. "Fine Shikaku I agree I will remove Choji from Kakashi's squad and put him in Asuma's team". Now the question was what to do with Naruto. He had a person already in mind to fill in on Kakashi's team, but concerning Naruto he wasn't so sure. He looked towards the Council and asked. "What should we do about Naruto-kun then? Any suggestions.

The Clan head of the Inuzuka known as Tsume quickly gave her suggestion. "What about Anko Hokage-sama. I think that woman needs to learn some responsibility. If she has someone like Naruto as her student then that would teach her".

The pale eyed man known as Hiashi quickly rejected the suggestion. "That woman does not deserve to teach anyone Tsume-san. If anything someone should be teaching her".

Tsume glared towards Hiashi showing her canine features in full display. "Shut up Hiashi what do you know about her?

Hiashi remained as stoic as ever calmly responding to the angered Tsume. "I know she's dangerous and to give her someone like Naruto-san is overkill. That boy is already dangerous as it is carrying that beast with him and that power he carries with him will make him even more dangerous".

Tsume growled towards the man as was about to retort when Hiruzen quickly interjected silencing them both. "Quiet both of you".

Hiruzen watched both of them quickly subdue and calm down. He turned his gaze towards the Inuzuka Clan head and asked. "Tsume-san do you really think it is wise to allow Anko-san to teach Naruto-kun?

Tsume quickly nodded. "Hai Hokage-sama. Anko would be the perfect match for the boy. They both know what it's like to be hated for various reasons. I'll be honest Anko will definitely deny that she doesn't feel lonely or doesn't need anyone. That's the way she is, but if you tag her up with the boy then maybe she might change. I've seen Naruto-kun and I can tell that he is extremely different from before. He's more serious than what a kid his age should be like. Perhaps Anko might liven him up"

Hiruzen nodded agreeing with her assumption of the boy. So it wasn't just him that noticed the sudden change in personality of the boy. Others were beginning to notice. He wondered when the fact that he had the sharingan would ever be revealed. He didn't look forward to that day that's for sure. He turned his gaze towards the other Clan heads wanting to know their opinion. They all gave him nods of agreement. Now that the matter was settled it was time to tell the woman herself that she now had a student.

* * *

_(Flashback end)_

**(Location Hokage Office)**

Hiruzen finally returned after recalling that specific meeting with the Clan heads. He turned his head towards the expecting boy and gave him an answer. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun; Haku-san here can't be in your team with Asuma-kun".

Naruto didn't like his answer whatsoever. His sharingan instinctively flared awake as he gave the Hokage the most intense gaze ever. All of them could feel the pressure in the room increase significantly making it tougher to breath. His eyes narrowed dangerously directly focused on the powerful Hokage. "What did you say Hokage-sama?

Hiruzen quickly waved Naruto to calm down. "Settle down Naruto-kun you didn't let me finish".

His words went right through him, but he did eventually calm down from Haku's hand. His sharingan eyes drifted towards Haku and saw her concern in her eyes. She was already stressed as it was and now he was adding even more. He slowly breathed in and out and slowly relaxed and whispered to Haku, "Sorry Haku-chan". The pressure in the room quickly lessened and returned to normal. He turned his head back to the Hokage and nudged his head for him to continue.

The Hokage gave a sigh of relief seeing Haku calm down the boy. "As I was saying Naruto-kun I will not allow Haku to join Asuma's squad. Now the reason for that is because you have been assigned to another Jounin and Haku will join you as well."

The people inside the office stood in confusion not sure what he meant by that. Asuma quickly interjected and gave his statement. "What do you mean he has been assigned to another Jounin Hokage-sama? Who's going to be in my squad now?

Hiruzen quickly answered his question. "We have decided that Choji Akimichi shall join your squad thus forming the Ino-Shika-Cho trio once again".

Kakashi was next in line to ask the questions. "Hokage-sama if you are taking away Choji then who are you placing on my team?

Hiruzen looked towards the sharingan user and answered. "I have a student that should work well with your team Kakashi-kun. His name is Sai he was trained directly by Danzo before he betrayed us". The temperature dropped significantly at the mention of that name. They all turned towards Naruto who had the most hate towards the man. Surprisingly Naruto remained calm and collected.

Kakashi nodded and accepted the change of teams. Asuma had also come to an understanding that he would be teaching the future Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Although he was dreading the time when it came to tell Ino that Naruto was no longer on their team.

Naruto understood his ex-sensei's troubles knowing Ino would completely flip out when she heard that he was no longer part of her team. "So Hokage-sama who will be our sensei now?

Hiruzen quickly answered the boy's question finding no reason to prolong the matter anymore. "Her name is Anko Mitarashi and she will be your new sensei Naruto-kun".

Before Naruto could respond Asuma quickly reacted. "Why in the world did you assign her of all people to teach Naruto Hokage-sama? Kakashi was also intrigued by his choice of sensei to the boy. He knew that Anko was irresponsible and dangerous having no regard for subtleness. Although the reason he chose her of all people was pretty clear now. She too experienced many hardships and could relate to the boy, but would that be enough.

Hiruzen gave a tired sigh knowing they would question his motives. "The matter is settled Asuma-kun just leave it at that alright". He saw him quickly settle down. He turned attention to the boy and asked. "So Naruto-kun what do you think about this?

Naruto remained stoic not sure if this was a good thing or a bad one. All he cared about that he would be with Haku. "I don't really care who you put as a sensei to me Hokage-sama". The Hokage sweat-dropped hearing his blunt answer. _'Same as always Naruto-kun no regard for others'. _

The Hokage quickly gathered some paper work and handed it to the boy. "Here Naruto-kun take this and show it to Anko when you meet her. She already knows who she got as a team and will be waiting for you at the training grounds. Be aware though she isn't like Asuma or Kakashi here. She's more of a hands on kind of sensei feeling experience is better than just telling you about it. It doesn't sound that bad, but when you actually experience it well let's just say you will be surprised".

Naruto quickly stored the scroll inside his breast pocket and excused himself seeing his business was done. "Come Haku-chan let's head out and meet our new 'sensei' shall we". Haku smiled towards him and nodded. She felt happy that she would be with Naruto on a team with somebody instructing them. She had never experienced this before so she was eager to begin. Before they could exit the office Hiruzen quickly stopped them having remembered something he needed to tell the boy. "Naruto-kun I know this is sudden but be sure to report here tomorrow morning for a debriefing on your new mission. I'll explain in better detail when you come tomorrow". He noticed the boy give him questioning looks but exited the office regardless.

As soon as both Genin left the office the pressure around the office became noticeably heavier. The Hokage's cunning eyes roamed around his office catching the serious glances coming from both Jounin. Before they began he took out his pipe and quickly lit it up. He took a long puff out of it and exhaled covering the room with the fragrance. "So whoever wants to begin may go ahead whenever. I can already tell you have something important to tell me so go ahead".

Kakashi and Asuma gave each other a spare glance and looked back to the Hokage seemingly agreeing on something. Hiruzen noticed Asuma step forward and proceed. "Hokage-sama I'm here to report on the details regarding our first mission". Hiruzen nodded preparing himself for the worst. Asuma looked on with pure seriousness on his face. "Hokage-sama when we arrived on the scene we immediately gathered that the entire town was decimated. Their motives were clear. By destroying this town they forced us to look for another alternative for the metal that was developed uniquely there".

Hiruzen took another puff from his pipe and nodded with a grim face. "Yes that is most unfortunate. This will most certainly hinder the leaf in some way, but we will find another way. It will just take some time which of course they knew already. Was there anything else that requires my attention Asuma-kun?

Asuma briefly clenched his fist feeling frustrated as he thought back on the mission. "Hokage-sama there is one more thing I believe is worth mentioning. When I decided that we had seen enough a missing-nin suddenly appeared and prevented us from leaving. His name was as stated in the bingo book Ryo Hayate missing-nin from Kumogakure".

Hiruzen gently laid his pipe down on his wooden desk and interlocked his fingers. He gazed intently towards his son and asked. "I assume you took care of the missing-nin Asuma-kun".

Asuma negatively nodded with his assumption. "It wasn't me who put Ryo down Hokage-sama. It was Naruto who did it".

The Hokage's features visibly hardened at the thought of Naruto actually taking down an A-rank missing-nin by himself. "How is that possible? Last I read Ryo Hayate was an A-rank missing-nin. How on earth did Naruto-kun a mere Genin manage to bring down someone like him?

Asuma continued watching his father with seriousness' in his eyes. "Naruto is no mere Genin in my eyes Hokage-sama. That boy knows stuff that is beyond Genin level. He is more powerful than meets the eye".

Hiruzen nodded with his statement knowing that Naruto had changed dramatically over the past several years and by the look of it not just in looks. Ever since that night his whole life had changed. His eyes drifted towards Kakashi seeing his son had apparently finished with his part of the story.

Kakashi leaned his frame against the wooden walls and began his side of the story. "Hokage-sama I'm here to report on behalf of our joint mission to the Land of Waves". Hiruzen nodded and waved for him to proceed dreading what he was about to hear now.

Kakashi nodded and removed himself from the wall and stood straight while he faced his powerful leader. "During our mission to the Wave I also began to notice Naruto's power was leagues apart the rest. I know Naruto has the sharingan Hokage-sama, but this is not what this conversation is about. I will leave those questions for later. I'm curious how Naruto has the sharingan".

Hiruzen sighed in frustration knowing they would eventually find out about that fact. "You might as well save those questions Kakashi-kun. I too have no idea how the boy developed the sharingan. It is a mystery to all of us, but I'm sure the boy knows something we don't". He waved for Kakashi to continue.

"While Naruto was in combat with some unknown shinobi we witnessed he had released some of Kyuubi's chakra".

The Hokage tensed at the mention of that name. "Explain to me as to what exactly you saw Kakashi-kun".

Kakashi agreed hearing the seriousness of his superior. "Asuma, Ino, Sakura and myself witnessed Naruto being influenced by the Kyuubi's chakra while he was in combat. I do not believe that Kyuubi has escaped the seal. I believe the boy is able to release a certain amount of the Kyuubi's chakra at will".

The Hokage froze at the mention of others knowing about the Kyuubi especially if it involved the young ones. "Kakashi-kun how did Ino-san and Sakura-san react with the scene?

Kakashi quickly responded knowing where this was headed. "They were surprisingly fine with it Hokage-sama. I don't think they even cared honestly. I made sure to inform them to keep it to themselves or face the consequences about mentioning it to anyone".

The Hokage began to rub his temples in short circles overwhelmed at all the information he was receiving. He picked up his smoking pipe and took a long puff from it. His tired eyes lingered on the masked Jounin and asked. "Is that all you have to report Kakashi-kun?

The Jounin negatively nodded having one last thing to report to him. "I'm afraid that isn't everything Hokage-sama. Last night while we had camped for the night Naruto had asked to go for a walk. After minutes turned to hours we began to get worried, but I decided against chasing after him. While we waited for him we all felt an enormous amount of energy being released and sensed it was Naruto's energy. We immediately bolted towards the direction, but only witnessed Naruto walking towards us".

Hiruzen was intently listening to Kakashi's story wanting to know the outcome. "So did you ask him what happened?

Kakashi nodded. "Hai I asked him what had transpired out there, but his only answer was that he was practicing a move. Of course I didn't believe his plain answer so I focused my keen sense of smell on the scene and gathered other chakra signatures with him. Who they were I do not know that much".

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes dangerously at what Kakashi was implying. "Are you implying that Naruto has gone rogue on us Kakashi Hatake?

The sharingan user tensed at the pressure he was experiencing coming from the powerful Hokage. He knew Hiruzen cared for Naruto and to saying that he had betrayed them was too much to accept. He remained calm even though inside he was feeling the intense pressure. "No Hokage-sama I do not believe he has gone so far as to betray the village. I was just stating of what I gathered. He had met someone by himself that Asuma and I do not recognize. I propose we just keep an eye on Naruto that is all".

Hiruzen slowly nodded. "Alright Kakashi-kun I agree in watching him closer, but that does not mean we will question him understood. We do not want him to feel threatened". Seeing them both nod the wise and powerful Hokage dismissed them leaving him alone. He slowly stood up from his chair and walked towards the open window taking in the pleasant view of his peaceful village. He didn't want to believe that Naruto would ever betray his village, but even he had doubts. Naruto was unpredictable and even with all his experience he didn't know what the boy would do next. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt an Anbu appear in his office and bow to him waiting for his order.

He turned his gaze away from his window and brought it towards the kneeling Anbu. "You may speak Anbu-san". The generic Anbu quickly stood up and presented the Hokage with a scroll. "This is the latest news from the Kages Hokage-sama regarding the Chunin Exams this year".

Hiruzen nodded and dismissed the Anbu away. Once feeling he was gone the wise Hokage slowly went to his chair and sat. He unrolled the scroll across his desk and read it carefully. His eyes narrowed at the contents and quickly let out another frustrated sigh. "Seems like the Chunin Exams will have to be taken in Kumogakure huh. Seems like the Raikage is extremely paranoid about having his Genin come to the leaf and take part".

The powerful man rubbed his temples once again and added. "Guess there is no choice in the matter. I should go inform the rest that the Chunin Exams will be taken place in Kumogakure in exactly 6 months from now. Perhaps it's not so bad this will give my Genin enough time to train and be even more ready to compete. Things will certainly be interesting now".

* * *

**(Location undisclosed place)**

A red-headed girl could be seen walking the village streets with a face that would scare anyone that tried to talk to her. Having finally arrived at her desired destination she stopped in her tracks and carefully looked around her. Once seeing that nobody had followed her she proceeded to flare up her curse mark revealing a hidden passage of sorts. She took one last glance behind her and silently disappeared into the passage ahead. She was greeted with an extremely dark hallway for a good distance before the place began to open revealing lights strewn across.

She continued to walk through the low visibility environment with determination in her eyes. After some skillful weaving through the maze like place she finally made her way into a wide open space which had specifically placed torches that led up to a throne like chair ahead. There in the throne like chair sat a pale man who had unique snake-like eyes who was carefully watching the girl in front of him. The only thing that could be seen besides the light coming from the torches was the man's ominous yellowish eyes. He made his surprisingly clear voice heard. "You have finally returned Tayuya. I hope your travels were relatively easy".

The girl identified as Tayuya quickly walked forward and bowed before the snake-like man ahead. While she remained crouched she raised her head and answered. "Hai Orochimaru-sama it went smoothly thanks for asking. I told Naruto-kun about your offer and he accepted it. He did tell me to mention that he wanted to see you as soon as possible. For what I do not know since he didn't trust me enough to tell me".

Orochimaru smirked hearing her begin mumbling curses regarding the white-haired boy. "Interesting now tell me how he seemed to you Tayuya". He wanted to know how much the boy had changed over the past several years.

Tayuya for a moment stood in confusion, but quickly managed to snap out of it and answered. "If you're talking in comparison to the last time we had met him then he has changed a great deal Orochimaru-sama".

The snake Sannin slowly stood up from his chair and walked towards her curious in finding out how exactly he had changed. "Do tell Tayuya".

Tayuya nodded and continued. "He has become colder from what I have gathered. He has also become incredibly strong more so than before. He managed to break my genjutsu's like they were nothing. He even managed to defeat me just by one look of his eyes. He has changed so much Orochimaru-sama it's frightening". She purposely left out the intimate interactions between them knowing her master only wanted to hear what he wanted and this was not it.

Orochimaru gave a wicked grin ecstatic in hearing exactly what he wanted to hear from her. "Kukuku it seems the all-powerful Naruto-kun has fallen even deeper into the darkness. I guess all it took was losing some friends to have this kind of affect".

Tayuya quickly stood up completely forgetting that she was talking to him. She desperately questioned him. "What do you mean by that Orochimaru-sama?

The snake Sannin smirked as he watched in intrigue over his subordinate's actions regarding the boy. The pale man slowly returned to his throne like chair and sat. His ominous yellowish eyes glowed in the darkness as they lingered on the desperate looking kunochi wanting answers. Deciding to indulge her he informed her. "Let me fill you in on the past few years regarding Uzumaki Naruto Tayuya. When he left from Otogakure all those years ago he returned to an event that would forever change him. His two friends named Maki and Chi had been killed by Danzo. That is all I know regarding that specific situation, but I'm sure we will learn more as time passes. I assume Naruto-kun's question involves that certain incident. He's desperate to find Danzo and probably want's my help in finding him".

Tayuya was shocked at what she was hearing. That explained everything clearly. She was saddened and angry that he didn't trust her enough to tell him himself. She had to instead hear it from her master.

Orochimaru smirked seeing her defeated demeanor and quickly dismissed her. "You may leave now Tayuya our business here is finished. Regarding our travel to the leaf those plans have changed. My informant has told me that the Chunin Exams are taking place at Kumogakure now. That changes our plans dramatically, but do not worry Hiruzen will surely attend so the plan is still in effect. I also have to find a way to meet Naruto-kun and explain to him the details surrounding my plan. Until then wait for my orders and inform the others of the changes".

Tayuya slowly nodded and began to walk away headed directly towards her room. She lifelessly trudged through the dimply lit halls passing by Kimimaro's room which had him in machine. Clearly his health had worsened since she had left on her mission. Passing straight ahead she continued to walk silently slipping into her plain room slumping into her bed. She would've never guessed that had happened to him. She felt pure anger to this Danzo person that caused him that sort of pain.

She wanted to be there for him, but she couldn't while she was here. The silence in her room was interrupted by a brief knock on her door. She brought her defeated eyes towards the sound and was greeted by her best friend Kin. Kin had very long black hair with equally charcoal eyes. Together they were inseparable the only time they would be apart would be whenever they were on missions. Kin was in a different team compared to her so they didn't get missions often.

The black-haired Kunochi known as Kin rested her small frame against the hard wall as she worriedly looked towards her best friend. "This is about Naruto isn't it? Kin chuckled at her shock. "It isn't that hard to figure out Tayu. I mean you practically never shut up about him".

Tayuya who was still slumped in her bed quickly stood up and desperately denied her assumptions. That's a bit hard to do when you have a huge blush on your face though. "I-I don't know what you're talking about Kin". She quickly diverted her eyes from the girl knowing she would quickly figure her out.

Kin narrowed her eyes and began to walk towards the blushing kunochi. She placed her hands on her slender shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "Don't lie to yourself Tayu. We all know you like Naruto. It's no big secret to us anymore".

Tayuya quickly released herself from her friends grip and sat down on the bed. She was followed by Kin who also took a seat next to her. She slowly took out her flute and carefully ran her delicate fingers across it. "You know he's the only reason I still have my mother's present. When we fought I dropped it and it was Naruto who recovered it and gave it to me. He could've demanded anything from me with this flute, but he didn't. Now that I know he's suffering and I can't do a damn thing pisses me the fuck off". She slowly breathed in and calmed herself. After several moments of silence Tayuya finally broke the silence with a simple question. "Kin do you like it here?

Kin was confused by what she meant, but after some careful thinking she understood. "Of course I like it here Tayu. This is my home. My best friend and family lives here. Why would you ask me that kind of question Tayu?

Tayuya quickly shook her head. "No reason Kin-chan. Anyways where the fuck are the other fuckheads hiding at?

Kin laughed feeling happy that the Tayuya she loved and knew had returned. "Their training like always. Why what's the matter now?

Tayuya shook her head hearing the concern in her voice. Even though she had lived here practically her entire life she was still afraid of what could happen. He couldn't blame her since Orochimaru could be unpredictable and since she wasn't particularly powerful she always questioned her place there. "It's nothing like that I just need to tell them that our destination has changed. Can you tell those shitheads for me I need some sleep?

Kin let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Sure Tayu I'll tell them for you. You just make sure and rest. You've been gone for a couple of days so you deserve it".

She saw the black-haired kunochi smile and quickly bolt out of her room leaving her alone with her thoughts. She gazed at her flute one last time before she declared. "I promise to help you anyway I can shithead so just wait for me".

* * *

_(4 hours later)_

**(Location Training grounds 5)**

Naruto was resting his frame against a tree enjoying the shade it provided. To his left was Haku who was sleeping against him peacefully having gotten tired of waiting for their new sensei to arrive. It had been nearly four hours since they had been here waiting for her. He wondered if she had forgotten about them and was doing something else entirely. Those thoughts were quickly dashed when he felt someone from above. Naruto quickly pulled out a kunai as it collided with the intruders' kunai. Naruto effortlessly managed to defend against it and even went as far as to send her back.

Naruto stood up from place having awoken Haku up in the process. His blue eyes carefully examined the kunochi in front of him. The woman in front of him wore a tan overcoat completed with a fitted mesh body suit that really brought out her features nicely if he might add. He was brought out of his muse by her voice.

The kunochi stood in front of him with a kunai drawn as she watched in silence observing the boy carefully. She was impressed by how easily he had countered her attack like that. "Pretty impressive Gaki pushing me away like that. So you're not just an ordinary Genin after all seems like old man was right".

Naruto quickly threw the kunai straight at her making her focus on the object leaving him a chance to appear right next to her bringing out another kunai as it laid gently against her throat. "Seems like you're our sensei. I believe your name was Anko correct".

Anko was smiling up a storm as she watched the boy basically pin her down like it was nothing. "Anko Mitarashi at your service Gaki". After her statement the figure in front of Naruto quickly poofed out of existence as another appeared behind the boy ready to deliver the finishing blow. Anko was unable to continue seeing the boy activate his lightning armor. The next thing she heard was a stomp followed by a female's voice, **"Ice Style: Demonic Crystal Mirrors". **The next thing she knew she was surround by dozens of mirrors made of ice completely trapping her inside.

Naruto smirked seeing Haku's jutsu had been successful. He calmly entered the ice mirrors and watched as Anko looked around in amazement. His eyes narrowed hearing the kunochi in front of him begin to laugh at her situation. His sharingan quickly flared up giving him the information he needed to realize what was happening. "Don't bother going any further Haku-chan this is just a clone the real one is still hiding above that tree". Haku nodded with him and quickly disabled her jutsu resulting in the mirrors breaking.

Both of them slowly walked towards the tree as they witnessed the black haired kunochi quickly jump down from the tree. Anko was shocked at what she was seeing in front of her. "How in the hell does a Gaki like you have the sharingan? Did you steal them from that Uchiha prick or what? Naruto managed to laugh at that making Haku smile at their interactions. He quickly deactivated his sharingan seeing no use for them now. Smirking he added. "Guess we all have secrets neh Anko-chan".

Anko gave an honest laugh finding this kid's cockiness hilarious. Wiping away a tear the black-haired kunochi added. "You and I are going to get along just fine Gaki".

* * *

**(Location Undisclosed)**

A lone man could be seen looking out towards the world below him. He gave out a long yawn apparently bored by the situation he was currently in. His boredom was interrupted by a brief knock at his door. The man didn't take his gaze away from the window and barely even acknowledged the knock on his door. "Who is it? He heard the familiar voice of his assistant. "It's Chihiro Kurai-sama I'm here to inform you that our guest has arrived". The bored looking man quickly jumped away from the open window and sat down on a nearby couch. "Let him in Chihiro".

The door in his room quickly opened revealing the stoic female with ample breasts escort the other man inside. The man known as Kurai watched as the unidentified man in front of him sat down. The man had dozens of earing around his ears and nose making him look disgusting to him. His hair was also of weird coloring being red and black. His clothing seemed raggedy and torn all over as well. All in all the man in front of him looked like garbage in his eyes, but you can't judge by its cover right. "So Shun you have finally arrived good I have an assignment for you that I think you will enjoy thoroughly". His gaze didn't leave the punkish man in front of him while he signaled his assistant to give him the files. "Chihiro give me the files concerning the boy". The stoic assistant quickly handed over what he wanted and remained silently by his side.

Kurai went over the paperwork one more time making sure it was all correct. Smirking he handed over the file to the guy and instructed. "Here Shun take this file and look over it carefully. It will help you in your battle with the boy. This has". He wasn't able to continue as he watched Shun quickly stand up and begin to leave.

"Kurai-sama I don't need for you to tell me about the kid. He is nothing but trash compared to the awesome Shun. I'll show him how weak he really is".

Kurai continued watching the confidant man begin to walk away. "He managed to defeat Yuu so be careful Shun don't let that confidence get to your head now". He watched his hired employee quickly disappear in a fierce wind storm breaking everything inside the room. The red-eyed man appeared unfazed and could be seen wickedly smiling at the thought of the upcoming battle. He motioned for his assistant to give him some information. "Chihiro tell what's happening in the coming months on this boring world. I need something to entertain me while I wait for the outcome". Yes when the moment came where that Uzumaki was defeated he would celebrate by destroying everything around him. That day would be glorious he could feel it.

**A/N: and scene. Well that was a long and informative chapter. Tell me what you think about the current developments. Did you foresee that Naruto would get another sensei or did I surprise you? Anyways thank you for joining me in another chapter of my story. Be sure to review and if I get 20 reviews then I know you love me **** P:s don't forget to vote on my profile page. **


	26. Underhanded Methods

**A/N: I'm back yay. Anyways sorry for not posting anything for the past few months. I just had a little case of writers block, but thankfully I got a lot planned out now so be prepared. Currently I'm working on the next chapter as we speak because it will change the course of the story forever. You will be blown away I guarantee you. But for now I leave you with this kind of filler chapter until I'm done with the other. Read on my brothers and sisters and enjoy! Ps: The poll results will not be exactly who Naruto will be paired up with. I can tell you honestly that some of the lower ones still have a chance on being with him. So for those who are sad that your favorite kunochi lost don't think it's the end of the world now. This is just to give me some indication on what you guys like that's all. I will leave it open too see if anything changes before the next chapter which will officially close the poll permanently. **

**Haku-76 votes**

**Tayuya-73 votes**

**Samui-71 votes**

**Mei-66 votes**

**Anko-58 votes**

**Fuu-49 votes**

**Hinata-48 votes**

**Konan-42 votes**

**Tsunade-40 votes**

**Yugito-37 votes**

**Kurenai-36 votes**

**Ino-29 votes**

**Karin-29 votes**

**Kin-28 votes**

**Temari-25 votes**

**Ten-Ten-25 votes**

**Other-10 votes**

**Sakura-9 votes**

**Underhanded Methods**

_(Present time)_

**(Location Training grounds 5)**

A small group of people could be seen through the minor openings coming from the forest sprawling above them that surrounded the training grounds below. Below the thick trees the small group had gathered seemed to be in some sort of staring contest as they had yet to make a move towards each other. Each one of them seemed to have a look of indifference or confidence as they carefully eyed one another.

The individuals that stood tall in the training grounds consisted of a dark-haired young female between the ages of 13-14. She was standing very closely behind a white-haired boy ready for anything they might throw at her. Her only goal now was to help and protect the boy ahead of her and that was exactly what she planned to do.

Just ahead of the young kunochi, the boy seeming to be the same age as the protective female behind him if not a bit younger was also standing his ground. Although unlike her female counterpart behind him his face lacked any of the sorts of seriousness you would expect someone to have when they were in the middle of a heated battle. His demeanor was pure indifference not finding the situation the least bit worrisome. Of course if you knew him personally you would understand that this was just how he was.

A couple of feet ahead of the stoic young boy stood a confidant looking woman who was in a slightly crouched position. Her sharp onyx colored eyes never leaving the direction of her brand new students ahead. The black-haired woman was known as Anko Mitarashi the newly appointed sensei to the young kids in front of her. Besides her name being widely known for various reasons throughout the village she was not very well liked.

If you've lived in the village for long you would have come across various other aliases they had marked on her. One of the least insulting ones would be Snake Mistress of Konoha. If you asked her that name fit her pretty well so she didn't complain too much when she heard it while roaming the village grounds.

Although most of the names weren't that pleasant to the ears. There were some people who knew of her rather dark past that was largely due in part of her studying under the traitorous Orochimaru. Those individuals had plenty more unpleasant names that had stained her image ever since. Fortunately for the few that did have enough common sense for the utter trash that they were held back from mentioning the rest. Well they only kept silent only until she was very, very far away from them. Only then would they let loose and insult to their heart's content. They understood very well that things would get messy if that detail was not adhered and followed to the dot. The detail being never mentioning those names while she was around.

Naruto was patiently waiting for his 'sensei' to make the next move. He learned very well from his previous sensei that patience was something that was extremely important. If you learned to have patience you would have an easier time when it came to fighting. With patience you could see all the variables around battlefield and plan accordingly ensuring the best chance of you coming out with your life.

His previous master Itachi was a master in the art of patience and intelligence. He would be constantly amazed at how intellectual he was. He was always two steps ahead of his opponents when he told him to watch when he fought. He wanted for him to learn that rushing towards the enemy was not always the best course of action to take.

In most of the fights that he had witnessed Itachi would almost always let his opponent make the first move. From the move he would gather what sort of abilities they had and with the help of his superior sharingan he would also spot their weaknesses. Every opponent had some sort of weakness to them and Itachi would always capitalize on it immediately. He would swiftly take down his opponents without them even seeing it coming. It was truly something to admire when he fought. It was like moving art to his untrained eyes and it always left him wanting to be like him. He was the epitome example of the perfect killer.

From that training while on his two-year training trip with Itachi he knew that being patient was the best course of action. Having very limited knowledge on what she was capable of this was the best course of action. Apart from knowing she was around the same level as Kakashi and Asuma being a Jounin and all he had no other useful information about her. Though none of that really mattered if what he felt from their recent spar was any indication of her skills. He had felt little to nothing that would consider this woman posing any significant threat to them.

Even though he didn't feel any significant danger from her she was most likely going easy on them for the sake of the whole sensei thing. This possibility was very high.

The building tension in the training grounds was finally broken when a smirking Anko slowly started to rise from her crouched position. A single black-striped snake expertly slithered its way up her well defined thighs until it finally disappeared into the recces of her coat. She nonchalantly threw her sharpened kunai up in the air and expertly stored it into one of her many pockets.

Naruto's sharp blue eyes did not miss any of these relaxed movements. He knew she was deliberately doing all these flashy moves. For what reason he did not know, but he had an idea. She was testing on how he would react to all these odd movements. That explained why she was grinning the whole time while she did them.

Anko had in fact made all these flashy moves just to see what kind of reaction she would get from the kid. Let's just say her expectations were clearly met. _'This gaki didn't miss any of the subtle signs I showed him. He was watching me like a hawk to see if I would do anything out of the ordinary. He's everything that I imagined and maybe more. A genius in the making huh I wouldn't doubt it'. _

Anko didn't really have to attack them at all for them to be accepted as a team. She really didn't have to do anything, but she wanted to see it for herself. She wanted to witness just how the gaki would react and if anything the old man had mentioned previously wasn't complete shit.

When she was told about her new position she was very surprised. He explained to her that she was to train the boy to hone in and perfect his various skills and to transform him into an even greater weapon for the Leaf. Obviously he didn't mention becoming a weapon for the Leaf part. She knew better from personal experience what he was really trying to do. Why even bother asking her to train the gaki to become even more powerful if that wasn't the case then.

She thought it overkill knowing that most of the ranking personnel in the village thought of him as an upcoming genius. It went so far as to even overhearing some of them mentioning him in the same league as a young Itachi. From what she knew he had already trained directly under him. What's to keep him from following in his footsteps and become like him.

Thinking back on her new position as sensei so many warning flags kept hitting her basically warning her that this idea was going to blow up in their faces. That training this boy even further would be a disaster just waiting to happen. What she had heard from Asuma and the old man described him to be literally perfect.

Now she was assigned to even further hone in his skills. This whole situation was becoming more than what she wanted to handle and it hadn't even begun yet. However another part of her just couldn't let this chance pass her by. Even if it did backfire on her at least she would have fun the entire way.

Though she agreed to train Naruto and his 'girlfriend' and become their teacher. She didn't make it particular easy on the aged Hokage. Let's just say you wouldn't want to be in the same building Anko was in. The few civilians that worked in the Mansion were harshly reminded how different they were compared to a hardened kunochi. To add insult to injury it was Anko of all people. Thing's just can't stay normal when she's around that's for sure.

* * *

_(Flashback) _

**(Location Restaurant)**

Anko was comfortably relaxing in one of the many booths that her favorite restaurant contained. Two other beautiful women were also sharing the booth just across from her position. On her left side sat a familiar red-eyed woman whose gaze was rumored to be the fiercest in the village. Her gaze was so powerful that it would immediately deter any would be suitors that happened to make eye contact with her. She was described to be as an unapproachable bitch. Many conversations with the male populace revolved around her.

As a result of those rumors she was unofficially given the very illustrious title of Ice Queen of Konoha. Not all the talk that revolved around her was bad. She was much respected in the village when it came to her mastery on the Genjutsu art. She was so good at it that she was sometimes compared to the infamous Itachi Uchiha.

If you mention that to Naruto though, he might have something to say about that opinion. Her resume didn't end just there. She was also an Elite Jounin mainly due in part on her mastery over Genjutsu. That's not saying that she wasn't up to par on her other skills. You would be sorely disappointed if you went up against her.

This incredible woman was none other than Yuhi Kurenai. Widely known and respected around the continent and surrounding areas.

Just right beside the Genjutsu Mistress sat another extremely attractive woman who had of similar hair color to Anko's own. Although the unnamed woman's hair color seemed to be of a lighter shade of purple compared to Anko's darker shade. Her light purple haired flowed beautifully past her modest bust and rested just on top of her creamy thighs. Her full lips had a light shade of reddish lipstick that complimented perfectly alongside her large chocolate-brown eyes. Her outfit was nothing to talk about consisting of a standard Jounin flak jacket. Although one unique aspect on her figures, would be the short blade that was holstered securely behind her back.

Just ahead of the purple haired kunochi sat Anko who was nonchalantly swinging a stick of Dango while she gazed at nothing noteworthy. The swinging stick came to a stop as she slid the Dango right into her waiting mouth. The black-haired kunochi had a satisfied grin on her face as she eagerly devoured her food. Her over the top actions brought the red-eyed beauty a smile.

Kurenai had a small smile as she continued to witness her friend devour her food like it would suddenly vanish into thin air. Shaking her head at her friend's actions her sharp gaze momentarily went down and lazily stirred her drink. After making sure she had mixed her drink well enough her eyes landed on Anko once again.

She let out a tired sigh seeing her friend still eating like it was her last. "Would you stop eating so damn much Anko? Honestly I don't see why you're so obsessed with these Dango. It's like you're a whole other person when Dango comes into the picture". Kurenai's right eye began to twitch in annoyance seeing she was being completely ignored. Well it's not like she didn't expect it from happening. She was always like this so why would it be any different today.

The purple-haired kunochi didn't even spare a glance towards her red-eyed friend. She merely threw down her sharpened Dango stick into the wooden table easily stabbing right into it. She immediately went ahead and grabbed another one and continued to indulge herself. While she was still chewing she responded to her friend's annoyed tone. "Would you stop being such a hard ass all the time Kurenai-chan? Why don't you learn to live a little?

Kurenai frowned at her friend's response not seeing what eating so damn much had anything to do with living. "I suppose eating like a damn pig is considered 'living' the high life right".

Anko shook her head, "You know what I meant by that". She momentarily stopped eating and gave Kurenai as serious gaze, which if you knew her was a very uncommon action. "Tell me something Kurenai. How long has it been since you've enjoyed yourself even just a bit? How long has it been since you've been seen with a man in public?

Anko let out a frustrated sigh seeing her friend stay quiet unwilling to answer her simple question. She laid her head on her right hand and asked again. "Alright I get it you don't want to answer. Fine, but how long has it really been since you went out? I always here various rumors about how your always turning down every single damn guy without giving them a chance. You can't be like that Kurenai. They can't all be bad guys right".

The Snake Mistress continued to stare seriously towards her friend not even reaching for another Dango stick. "If you ask me those guys deserve a fucking medal. Having the balls to ask out your hard ass is an achievement in itself". Anko put her own hand on her friends and spoke. "You've got to let what happened to your past go. You'll end up all alone if you don't Kurenai-chan".

Kurenai remained stoic as she continued to watch her clear drink with a blank expression on her face. She knew what her friend was saying had some truth to it, but she just couldn't let her past go. It was too much to simply forget.

Anko realized quickly that she was going to get a response out of her. Her silence was all she needed to figure that out. She understood her friend's reason to stay silent. After all you can't expect someone to recover and forget what she went through so easily. Even though it seemed like she constantly teased her about it to get some sort of response from her. It wasn't meant with any ill will at all.

It was the complete opposite of what most people thought. She honestly wanted for her best friend to overcome what has plagued her for the past few years. Though the thought of her recovering completely seemed to be a long ways away, there was still some hope. Well that was what she wanted to believe anyways.

The sword-wielding kunochi right next to the silent Kurenai already knew why her friend was unable to answer Anko's questions. Only a very select few of people knew about that event that happened to her best friend. Things like that were extremely hard to simply forget and move on. They were traumatizing to the point of it affecting your everyday life. For this reason she had never really pressured her to go out and experience life once more. She was more of a letting time heal the wounds. Instead of a constant motivation like Anko was.

Yugao knew she needed to do something to break this awkward tension that was floating around them. So she did what Anko had done and asked her a question this time. "What about you Anko. I hear you have a lot of free time these days. What is someone like yourself up to these days besides hanging around this place the whole time".

The casual question made her give a momentary pause as she took on a more thoughtful pose. Her head turned towards friend and answered. "Why would it matter what I do with my spare time Yugao-chan?

Just as Yugao was about to retort with an answer Kurenai beat her to it and interfered feeling this was her chance for a little payback. Although she was also a bit curious on what her best friend was up to these days. Contrary to belief they didn't really have time anymore since having a genin team of her own really took a lot of her free time. "Yeah Anko-chan since you're so interested in what my daily life involves all the time. Let me ask you the same question you always pester me with. What on earth have _you _been doing besides going here?

Anko diverted her eyes away from the questioning Kurenai. She answered her simple question with a casual response not wanting to go any deeper than what needed to be said. "Feh nothing that would be considered interesting to your pretty little head Kurenai-chan". She waved her hands in relaxed manner. Just the usual interrogations with Ibiki-san and couple of assassination here and there as well". She quickly swiped another Dango stick and quickly devoured it in one swoop before throwing into the table like before. "That should pretty much answer your question on what I do on my free time".

Kurenai had a very cocky smirk on her face seemingly having some sort of dirt that would make the Snake Mistress reconsider her answer. Before she went in for the kill she casually took a sip from her drink before gently laying down on the wooden table. Her smirk never leaving her she began. "That's not exactly accurate as to what I have heard around the village Anko-_chan". _

Kurenai smirk grew even wider seeing her friend narrow her eyes knowing she knew something that she did _not _want her to find out. "Then please do tell me my dear friend. What exactly have you heard around the village? I would love to hear it".

Yugao didn't fail to catch the sarcasm dripping heavily from her words suspicious on what exactly the Genjutsu Mistress knew about her. Her large chocolate-brown eyes swayed cautiously towards her friend sitting next to her and caught the superior smirk on her features. She had an idea that Kurenai had some dirt on the sultry kunochi that would make her falter. She had to admit that drama was best when it involved Anko. This was pretty much the best thing to do while they were off duty.

Anko on the other hand was not as ecstatic as the purple-haired counterpart. She was extremely suspicious on what Kurenai had on her. She had a pretty good idea on what exactly it could be. She wished with her entire being that what she had in mind wasn't it. She didn't want to bring that topic of her life and make it a conversation with them. At least not yet.

Just as Kurenai was about to bring up that specific topic that she wanted to reveal they all felt a silent presence appear before them. That presence was none other than a Konoha Anbu.

Yugao eyed him carefully expecting for him to call out for her since she was part of the Anbu. Surprisingly though the masked Anbu went straight towards Anko and bowed respectfully.

The masked Anbu bowed respectfully towards Anko and gave his ordered instruction to the young woman. "Anko-san sorry to intrude on your evening, but I have some orders to relay from the Hokage".

Anko remained impassive for the most part carefully eyeing the Anbu with a rather bored demeanor. While on the inside her mind was going full speed thinking over dozens of possibilities as to why the old man would want to see her of all people and why now. She kept her thoughts to herself and gave the masked Anbu a nod for him to continue.

The black clad Anbu saw her go ahead and did exactly that. "I am to escort you to Hokage-sama's office immediately. He would like to have a word with you about your current position".

The purple-haired Snake Mistress narrowed her eyes in suspicion. _'What the hell does that mean? What about my position? _

The trained Anbu sensed her discomfort and quickly acted to alleviate the situation. "Do not worry about it Anko-san. Hokage-sama informed me that he just wanted to have a conversation about an offer he wanted to share with you". He looked over the company around the table. "However I must ask that you come alone".

Anko unconsciously let out a breath she didn't even know she was keeping in. She gazed towards her friends as they silently nodded for her to go on knowing it was something important if they had sent an Anbu for her. Seeing her friends understand she quickly grabbed another Dango stick form the tray and stood up.

She began to walk towards the exit motioning for the silent Anbu to follow her. "Alright let's get this over with. I have many things I have to do and being cramped in a fucking office in not something I want to spend during my off time. So let's get this show on the road mask boy".

The masked Anbu quickly neared her and teleported both of them to the Hokage Mansion in a swirl of leaves.

Kurenai was still staring towards the spot where they had disappeared while she took a small sip of her drink. "What do you think they want with her Yugao-chan. Your part of the Anbu right you should know something at least".

Yugao took a sip of her own drink and gazed thoughtfully. "Sorry Kurenai-chan I have no idea what they want with her. Guess we'll find out when she's finished".

* * *

**(Location Hokage Mansion)**

Anko currently stood right in front of the most powerful person in the village with a rather annoyed look on her face. She had just been told about her newly assigned position. She was not pleased whatsoever at the news. "What in the hell do you mean I have to teach some snot nosed brat? I am fucking torturing people for a living for Christ sakes. Who in their right mind would put me of all people in the position of teaching a kid to be a shinobi?

The powerful Hokage known as Sarutobi Hiruzen slowly began to massage his aching temples feeling his age hitting him full force. He was currently in a very unpleasant situation right now. Right in front of his large wooden desk stood a very pissed off Anko who unsurprisingly didn't take the news of her new position very well. Putting both elbows on his desk and interlocking his fingers the wise Hokage looked over the annoyed Anko and explained himself once more.

"Listen to me Anko I understand that you're not happy about your new position. However you have no right to deny this position. I went through a lot to get you this job as a sensei so be grateful for once".

Anko crossed her arms in defiance and gave a humorless laugh. "You think I give a damn on what you went through to give me this job. I never even asked for it in the first place".

Hiruzen didn't respond to her actions and merely continued in his explanation. "You are to train two students. These students are special in their own right and they desperately need someone to teach them. You are the only available Jounin who can give them the guidance they require Anko".

Anko slowly began to march towards his desk and got dangerously close to his face. "We both know that I am not made to train someone. Especially some fucking children for fucks sake!

Hiruzen didn't even flinch under her scrutiny taking it in stride. His tired eyes closed for a second before quickly opening revealing a hardened look that was not missed by the highly trained kunochi. "Anko one of the students you will now be teaching can and will handle anything you throw at him. I guarantee it. In fact you know him already somewhat. Naruto Uzumaki is your new student starting today".

An audible gasp could be heard in the otherwise silent office. This sound of surprise came from Anko who could not believe what she had just heard from him. She was not expecting for _him _of all people to be her student. Her curiosity was now peaked and she wanted answers. "W-what do you mean the Uzumaki is going to be my new student? What the fuck is Asuma supposed to do then? He's going to be pissed when he learns that one of his best students is being taken away from him. I know I would".

The wise Hokage nodded his head never losing his hardened demeanor. "Don't be alarmed Anko. Asuma-kun knows all about this little arrangement. He was here just a while ago when we discussed about this matter. Naruto was also here in fact so you don't need to concern yourself over the situation unfolding".

Anko was still not pleased with the situation. There was still the elephant in the room regarding why he would purposely remove Naruto from Asuma's team after so long. What was the reasoning behind doing all of this? To her eyes Asuma was more than capable in teaching the gaki. Why did he need her to teach him? There had to be something she wasn't seeing. There always was. The black-haired kunochi's initial surprise had long faded and was now replaced with a look of seriousness.

Her charcoal eyes lingered dangerously on the Hokage's own. "Tell me the real reason you want me to teach him Hokage-_sama". _Her tone was rid of any of her usual sarcasm and only left room for the truth. She knew there was something else going on behind this whole 'sensei' charade. I guess working under the cruelest man had its perks once in a while. Being able to sense bullshit a mile away was one of them.

Hiruzen let out a long sigh slowly laying down his previously interlocked hands on his large wooden desk. A squeak could be heard coming from his chair signaling that he was standing up. Slowly he made his way towards the open windows that overlooked his entire village ahead of him. "Anko what I'm about to tell you must remain with you. This piece of information must not get out. You are not allowed to mention it to anyone. Is this understood? His tone was cold completely different as to what it was normally.

Anko merely nodded knowing that what she was about to be told was important enough for the old man to get serious. Which usually never happened. "Hai Hokage-sama".

Hiruzen continued gazing down at his village for a short while before he slowly turned around and faced the expecting kunochi. "Just before I was told some very disturbing information concerning the boy. Only I Kakashi-kun and Asuma-kun know about this information. So as you can see it is very sensitive information that I absolutely do not want it to spread".

Anko nodded in understanding. "I understand Hokage-sama. Just tell me what's so important about him that would warrant this much secrecy".

Hiruzen remained silent for a couple of seconds before continuing. "Naruto-kun is under the suspicion of having relations with another village. Now I do not have any proof that would mark him as guilty. This is why I have not brought it to the council. Knowing how some of the council members absolutely hate his existence. This information would just add more fuel to the already large fire".

He caught his breath and continued with some other tiny, but extremely important detail that directly related to the Snake Mistress. "Kakashi caught a very minute, but distinct smell of snakes. You see where I'm going with this yes".

Anko unconsciously went up and reached for her neck gently rubbing her clothes where the curse mark was hidden. "What the fuck do you mean by that? Do you honestly believe Naruto met with Orochimaru? That is complete bullshit Hokage-sama. Why would that Snake bastard meet with him? It makes no sense".

Hiruzen quickly responded knowing it would only result in her freaking out if he waited. "Which is why I want you to watch him while under the mascaraed of being his sensei. Now take what I just told you with a grain of salt. Remember I do not have any proof that it was Orochimaru. What we do know is that he did in fact meet with someone that night. For what reason I do not know, but just to be safe I want someone to watch over him. That someone being you of course".

Anko was still clenching at her hidden curse mark while she continued to gaze dangerously towards the Hokage. "Don't you think he will figure out that he's being watched? I mean he isn't called a fucking genius for shit's and giggles".

Hiruzen slowly made his way back to his chair and promptly sat down. "No since he was here when we assigned him to you. So he has no need to have any suspicion". He was once again quiet for a moment before seeming to remember something. "Oh I forget to mention some information about this other student that you will be teaching alongside the boy. Her name is Haku Momochi previous underling to the now deceased Zabuza Momochi and ex missing-nin".

Hearing this new piece of information made the Snake Mistress completely toss aside the previous conversation they had just been discussing. "What the fuck old man. You just told me I have to teach a possible traitor and now I have to teach an ex missing-nin. What the fuck did I do to piss you off so much?

Hiruzen let out a much-needed laugh finding her reaction to be on the funny side. "You did nothing wrong Anko-chan. This was just an unfortunate turn of events". The Hokage reached into his desk and pulled out a very thin folder. He opened it revealing a lone picture of the kunochi and what information they knew about her. He pointed towards the picture. "This is Haku Momochi. Her abilities are pretty straight forward. However they are extremely rare. She is capable of creating ice from thin air and most of her techniques revolve around the element".

Anko nodded and picked up the photo for a closer inspection. If one thing could be said about the girl was she certainly did not lack in the looks department that's for sure. She slowly laid the picture back into the folder and asked for some more information. This time it was about the white-haired boy. "Hey old man what can you tell about the gaki. I'm supposed to be his sensei right. So tell me about some of his techniques or what kind of power he has".

The Hokage began to put away the file into his desk. Once finishing he answered her question. "Well one thing that you should get through you head. Is that he is incredibly strong for his age and rank. In fact he managed to defeat an A-rank missing-nin while on a mission a couple of weeks ago".

The Snake Mistress gawked at the information not believing what she had just been told. "What do you mean he beat an A-rank missing-nin? How in the fuck did he manage to do that? No genin should be able to do that!

Hiruzen quickly answered her curiosity. "Well from what I was told by my son Asuma-. His power involves lightning for the most part. He also said he can create ice on command just like your other student Haku. However his control seems to be even greater. That is his power in a nut shell the rest is up to you to uncover understand".

Anko remained silent as she continued to think over what she was just been told about the boy. _'This boy might give me more trouble than even I can handle. Although I am known to enjoy danger more than anything so maybe this won't be too bad'. _"Fine old man I'll watch over them for the time being".

She began to head out the office and just as she motioned to turn the knob of the wooden door she paused and became serious. "Just don't blame me when this all goes to hell old man. You brought this on yourself".

Hiruzen saw a small smirk form on her face as she exited the office doors. He let out a huge sigh finding relief at finally informing her of her new job per say. He knew it wouldn't be an easy task persuading her to change her duty, but he was confident it could be done. He wished for the village's sake that this dreadful feeling was just a case of extreme paranoia.

* * *

_(End Flashback)_

**(Location Training grounds 5)**

The occupants were still at a standstill for the most part. The situation was albeit less confrontational than before. Since Anko had withdrawn her kunai and had visibly relaxed on her posture it seemed that the little field test was over.

Naruto saw her relaxed manner, but did not let it fool him. He wouldn't relax until he was sure it was over. "So 'sensei' it appears that we are done correct? Naruto peered over to his left and found Haku to be guarded as well. She was trained well it seems.

Anko simply remained stationary nonchalantly stretching her body out removing the slight soreness that had formed from their little field test. _'Damn I have got to train more regularly now and again. I shouldn't be this sore just from a simple spar. Guess torturing people all the time makes you really soft. Guess this whole 'sensei' business might give me a good work out now and again. And from the look of things these to brats might give me a run for my money, should be interesting'. _

Finishing stretching the Snake Mistress simply nodded to the boy's question. "Yeah you got it gaki were done for now". She pointed towards them and motioned them to come over. "Come over here you two let's get this whole introduction bull-shit out-of-the-way. All I know are your names. That's not enough to warrant calling ourselves a team now is it".

Naruto didn't respond to her subtle question and began to walk towards her while Haku followed close behind him. Both of them wore a mask of seriousness. It wasn't really a mask if you knew them personally though.

Anko watched them both approach her smirking at how relaxed they seemed together. _'I sense some intimacy between them. Should I tease them about it? Nah I'll save it for later'. _"Alright children let's begin with a simple introduction. I want your name, what you do for fun, what sort of abilities you have and what you hate. If you want to add more it's up to you. Now who wants to begin?

She didn't have to wait for long as Naruto quickly began his introduction wanting to get this over with. "Uzumaki Naruto is my name. What I enjoy is getting stronger. What I despise are people who have no real power, but still think they can control others".

Anko expected for him to continue, but he merely remained quiet with a bored demeanor. "Um care to explain what sort of powers you have?

Naruto was still as he responded. "As you have seen I have the sharingan. How I got it it's not of your business. What other powers I have. Well you'll just have to figure that out yourself".

Anko didn't like the superior attitude this boy was showing to her. _'Geez he acts like those stuck up Uchiha's. And now that I know he has a sharingan that statement might not be completely wrong'. _"Come on Naruto don't be such a smart ass with me. I know your type very well and let's just say I absolutely hate those types of people. It's like they have a giant stick up their ass".

Naruto showed a very minute smirk only for a moment before disappearing. "Well it seems like we won't be able to get along will we Anko-_chan". _

The Snake Mistress narrowed her eyes in annoyance at hearing him say her name like that. "Call me Anko-sensei from now on gaki. And if you don't stop with that attitude I'll hang you by your dick and let my pet spiders that roam my forest have at you understood".

Naruto didn't even flinch at her blatant threat. "Crystal clear Anko-_sensei _after all you are the one giving the orders here". His eyes flashed red with his sharingan flaring up as he looked coldly towards her. "Although I find it hard to believe why the old man would put someone with little to no skill as our sensei". He flashed her a cocky smirk. "It's amusing to say the least neh Anko-_sensei". _

Anko had a very visible frown on her face. She was getting sick of hearing this brat spouting nonsense to her of all people. Who in the fuck did he think he was acting all high and mighty? "Is that what you think gaki? That you, a fucking child, have more skill than a trained killer". Her annoyed demeanor changed into one of a more dangerous one as she began to radiant very potent killing intent.

She slowly made her way towards the bored looking white-haired boy trying to intimidate him. Unfortunately for her he had felt way worse killing intent before. Although he had to admit this would've made the average ninja shit their pants instantly. Anko reached the stoic boy and towered over him. "Well let's test this power of yours huh **killer". **

Before things could escalate any further Haku had quickly interjected and got between them. She quickly explained what was happening to the pissed of Snake Mistress. "Anko-sensei, don't take what he says so seriously. This is just his way of testing how firm your emotional level is".

Anko's annoyance was quickly dissipating when hearing what Haku was explaining to her. "What do you mean 'testing' me? I don't see anything that the little shit head said as some sort of test. He's just your typical no it all of a genin".

Naruto gazed towards the sultry kunochi with his pure blue eyes having deactivated his sharingan realizing he did not need them right now. He had just brought them out for the intimidation factor. "I was testing how you would react to blatant insults and let's just say the results were unfavorable. You getting pissed at small insults prove that you are weak-minded. You don't look past the insults and just go for the confrontation. That will get you killed Anko-sensei".

Anko scoffed at his know it all tone. "That goes the same for you mister stick up his ass that thinks he knows it all when he clearly doesn't know jack shit. You keep acting that way and nobody will find your company enjoyable. I'm already regretting taking this job. Just a minute ago I thought you would be a cool dude, but come to find out your just a smart ass with white-hair". She smirked. "Don't worry though while you're with me I'll change that attitude of yours".

Naruto kept his cool attitude not finding what she said insulting in the least. "You can try Anko-sensei, but you will realize how inferior you are compared to some others. Itachi Uchiha to name a few would squash you like the little insect that you really are". He developed a condescending smirk. "On second thought make that reptile in your case".

Anko was beyond pissed at this point finding the need to strangle this trash talking brat over bearing. Her fury was quelled when she saw his female partner pull him back and scold him.

Haku had reached for his hand and pulled it back. "Stop it already Naruto-kun. There's no reason to continue these empty insults anymore. She's our sensei now so show her some respect…for me".

Naruto's smirk quickly evaporated seeing her large brown eyes worrying over him. Letting out a sigh he nodded in understanding. "Alright Haku-chan. You know I was just having some fun, but I understand where you're coming from. I'll stop now so please stop worrying". He gently ran his hands over her plump cheeks bringing a comforting sigh from her. Having comforted her he turned his cold blue eyes towards Anko and apologized. "I'm sorry for insulting you Anko-sensei. Please forgive me and let us continue".

Anko had a rather perturbed look on her face finding his quick change in attitude to be disturbing. '_Does this kid have multiple personalities or something? That was a rather quick change in attitude from before'. _"Alright gaki just don't let it happen again and lose that superior attitude you clearly have lingering inside of you.

It will only make you enemies if you act like that understood". Accepting the silence as a yes she turned her charcoal eyes towards the other kunochi. "Alright go ahead and describe a bit about yourself so we can finish and call it a day".

Haku nodded and stood right beside the bored looking boy. She gave a very respectful bow and began. "My name is Haku Momochi. What I like is Naruto and some other things. What I hate are people who promise so many things, but have no power to make them true. My powers include being able to create ice on whim. That is all I'm willing to divulge in that matter".

Anko smiled and turned her head towards Naruto. "You see gaki that is the way you should introduce yourself. Not being such a smart ass about it. I don't care enough about you either way". She turned her head once again towards the stoic kunochi. "Thank you Haku-chan. For showing the gaki how it's done great job".

Haku didn't know how to respond to her compliment. She turned her head towards Naruto and found a small frown on his face clearly not finding her words amusing. She turned back towards her sensei and bowed once again. "T-thank you Anko-sensei it was nothing".

Anko's smile morphed into a smirk seeing the boy become slightly frustrated. She clapped her hands together signifying the end of their session. "Alright you guys let's call it a day for now. I'll seek you out later if something comes. I'm expecting for us to get a mission so be ready". She gave a two figure salute and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

This left the two of them alone in the silent training grounds. The sun was just about to set signifying the end of the day. Haku was the first one to make conversation. "The day sure passed by quickly huh Naruto-kun".

Naruto nodded agreeing with her. "Yeah I didn't even realize it till now. We still have one last thing to do before it becomes dark".

Haku nudged her head in slight confusion. "What do you mean Naruto-kun?

Naruto motioned for her to follow him as they made their way out of the training grounds. "I still need to inform you and Ino-chan about my little meeting in the forest yesterday. Or do you wish not to know?

Haku quickly beamed in realization and fiercely shook her head. "N-No of course I wish to know Naruto-kun. Well let's go ahead and get Ino-san. I'm sure there are plenty other topics she wished to discuss as well".

Naruto shook his head understanding what she meant. By now she had already heard that they were no longer on the same team. He could just imagine what she was going through right now. "Right let's get moving the sun is setting quickly. I do not wish to roam the village streets in the dark". Haku nodded grabbing his open hand as they both disappeared in a flash of lightning leaving the training grounds silent again.

**A/N: and scene. Well what did you think about it? Was it too boring for your tastes or was it acceptable. Hopefully it was enough to quell your appetites until the next chapter. I promise it's going to be good and bloody. Oops I gave out too much anyways I'll try to get the next one before the world ends until next time Black Crow out. **


End file.
